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THE 

CHURCH    HISTORY    OF 
BRITAIN; 

FROM 

THE  BIRTH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  UNTIL 
THE  YEAR  M.DC.XLVIII. 

ENDEAVOURED 

BY    THOMAS    FULLER,  D.D. 

PREBENDARY   OF   SARUM. 
A  NEW  EDITION,  IN  SIX  VOLUMES, 

BY  THE  REV.  J.  S.  BREWER,  M.A. 


VOLUME  V. 


OXFORD: 

AT   THE    UNIVERSITY    PRESS. 
M.OCfC.XI.V. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

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SECT.  V. 

"^ 

TO 

DANIEL    HARVEY,    ESQ., 

HIGH  SHERIFF  OF  SURREY  a. 

/  am  sufficiently  sensihle  of  the  great  distance  and  dispfo'por- 
tion  betwixt  my  meanness  and  your  worth,  as  at  all  other 
times,  so  now  especially,  whilst  you  are  a  j^^'ime  officer  in 
public  employment.  Despairinp,  therefore,  that  my  pen  can 
produce  any  thing  meet  for  your  entertainment,  I  have  en  ■ 
deavoured  in  this  Section  to  accomnrwdate  you  with  company 
fittest  for  your  converse,  being  all  no  meaner  than  statesmen, 
and  most  of  them  privy  counsellors,  in  their  several  letters 
about  the  grand  business  of  conformity. 

God  in  due  time  bless  you  and  your  honourable  consort  with 
such  issue  as  may  be  a  comfort  to  you  and  a  credit  to  all 
your  relations, 

ERY  strongly  Leicester,  (though  at  theA.D.  1582 

■25  Eliz. 


a    council-table  politicly  complying  with  - 


the  rest  of  the  lords,  and  concurring  discipline 


con  side  led 


always  with  their  results  when  sitting  |^j- ,,y  ^j^^ 
in  conjunction  with  them,)  when  alone, ''■\^'';'j'|^^ 


"  [Arms.  Or,  on  a  chief  in- 
dented Sii1)le  three  crescents 
argent.  Third  son  of  Thomas 
Harvey,  esq.  and  Joan  his  wife, 
daughter  of  Jolni  Halke,  esq., 
both  of  the  county  of  Kent. 
He  was  brother  to  tlie  cele- 
brated Dr.  William  Harvey, 
who  discovered  the  circulation 
of  the  blood,  and  married  Eli- 
zabeth,   daughter    of    Edward 

FULLER,  VOL.   V. 


lord  Montague,  of  Boughton, 
Fuller's  great  friend.  At  the 
Restoration  he  was  made  ranger 
of  Richmond  Park,  (17th  Aujj:. 
1660,)  and  was  therefore  un- 
doubtedly a  good  royalist.  Af- 
terwards he  was  employed  :!s 
ambassador  at  Constantinople, 
and  received  the  honour  of 
knighthood.  The  year  of  his 
death  I  have  not  discover  hI.] 


2  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  158a.  eno-aofed   his    affections    in    favour    of   the    noncon- 

— ^ ^^^-fonnists,  and  improved  his  power  (at  this  time  very 

the  several  great  with  the  queen)  to  obtain  great  liberty  for 
ther3.  them.  Hence  it  was  that  many  bishops,  active  in 
pressing  subscription  in  their  diocese,  when  repairing 
to  court  were  checked  and  snibbed  by  this  great 
favourite,  to  their  no  small  grief  and  discouragement. 
Heartened  hereat,  the  brethren,  who  hitherto  had  no 
particular  platform  of  discipline  amongst  themselves, 
(as  universally  owned  and  practised  by  their  party,) 
began  in  a  solemn  council  held  by  them  (but  whe- 
ther at  Cambridge  or  London,  uncertain)  to  con- 
clude on  a  certain  form,  as  followeth  in  these  their 
decrees,  faithfully  translated  out  of  their  own  Latin 
copy : 

The  Title  thereof,  viz. 

"  THESE  BE  THE  THINGS  THAT  (dO  SEEM)  MAY  WELL 
"  STAND  WITH  THE  PEACE  OF  THE  CHURCH." 

The  Decrees  *. 

"  Let  no  man  (though  he  be  an  university  man) 
"  offer  himself  to  the  ministry,  nor  let  any  man  take 
'*  upon  him  an  uncertain  and  vague  ministry,  though 
"  it  be  offered  unto  him ;  but  such  as  be  called  to 
"  the  ministry  by  some  certain  church,  let  them 
"  impart  it  unto  that  classis  or  conference  whereof 
'*  themselves  are,  or  else  to  some  greater  church- 
"  assembly ;  and  if  such  shall  be  found  fit  by  them, 
"  then  let  them  be  commended  by  their  letters  unto 

*  Under  Mr.  Wight's  ])and.      Dangerous     Positions,     p.  46, 
a    man    of    the    brotherhood  ;      [Book  III.  c.  3.] 
cited    by   bishop    Bancroft  liis 


CENT.  \vi.  of  Britain.  o 

"  the  bishop,  that  they  may  be  ordained  ministers'^- '*^,'iJ^|*'- 

"  by  him.     Those  ceremonies  in  the  Book  of  Com-         

"  mon  Prayer,  which,  being  taken  from  popery,  are 
'*  in  controversy,  do  seem  that  they  ought  to  be 
"  omitted  and  given  over,  if  it  may  be  done  without 
"  danger  of  being  put  from  the  ministry.  But  if 
"  there  be  any  imminent  danger  to  be  deprived,  then 
"  this  matter  must  be  communicated  with  the  classis 
"  in  which  that  church  is,  that  by  the  judgment 
"  thereof  it  may  be  determined  what  ought  to  be 
"  done.  If  subscription  to  the  Articles  of  Religion 
"  and  to  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  shall  be  again 
"  urged,  it  is  thought  that  the  Book  of  Articles  may 
"  be  subscribed  unto,  according  to  the  statute  13 
"  Elizabeth  ;  that  is,  unto  such  of  them  only  as  con- 
"  tain  the  sum  of  Christian  faith  and  doctrine  of  the 
"  sacraments.  But  for  many  weighty  causes,  neither 
"  the  rest  of  the  Articles  in  that  book,  nor  the  Book 
"  of  Common  Prayer,  may  be  allowed  ;  no,  though  a 
"  man  should  be  deprived  of  his  ministry  for  it. 

"  It  seemeth  that  churchwardens  and  collectors 
"  for  the  poor  might  thus  be  turned  into  elders,  and 
"  into  deacons. 

"  When  they  are  to  be  chosen,  let  the  church 
"  have  warning,  fifteen  days  before,  of  the  time  of 
•'  election,  and  of  the  ordinance  of  the  realm  ;  but 
"  especially  of  Christ's  ordinance,  touching  appoint- 
"  inof  of  watchmen  and  overseers  in  his  church,  who 
"  are  to  foresee  that  none  offence  or  scandal  do  arise 
"  in  the  church  ;  and  if  any  shall  happen,  that  by 
"  them  it  may  be  duly  abolished. 

"  And  touching  deacons  of  both  sorts,  (viz.  men 
"  and  women,)  the  church  shall  be  monished  what  is 
"  required  by  the  apostle ;  and  that  they  are  not  to 

B  2 


4  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  0.1582."  choose  men  of  custom  and  of  course,  or  for  their 

— ^^ "  riches,  but  for  their  faith,  zeal,  and  integrity ;  and 

"  that  the  church  is  to  pray,  in  the  mean  time,  to 
"  be  so  directed,  that  they  make  choice  of  men  that 
"  be  meet. 

"  Let  the  names  of  such  as  are  so  chosen  be  pub- 
"  lished  the  next  Lord's  day  ;  and  after  that  their 
"  duties  to  the  church,  and  the  church's  towards 
"  them,  shall  be  declared.  Then  let  them  be  re- 
"  ceived  unto  the  ministry  to  which  they  are  chosen, 
"  with  the  general  prayers  of  the  whole  church.  The 
"  brethren  are  to  be  requested  to  ordain  a  distribu- 
"  tion  of  all  churches  according  to  these  rules,  in 
"  that  behalf,  that  are  set  down  in  the  Synodical 
"  Discipline,  touching  classical,  provincial,  coniitial, 
"  or  of  commencements,  and  assemblies  for  the  whole 
'*  kingdom. 

"  The  classes  are  to  be  required  to  keep  acts  of 
"  memorable  matters,  which  they  shall  see  delivered 
"  to  the  coniitial  assembly,  tliat  from  thence  they 
"  may  be  brought  by  the  provincial  assembly. 

"  Also  they  are  to  deal  earnestly  with  patrons,  to 
"  present  fit  men  whensoever  any  church  is  fallen 
"  void  in  that  classis. 

"  The  coniitial  assemblies  are  to  be  monished  to 
"  make  collections  for  relief  of  the  poor,  and  of 
"  scholars  ;  but  especially  for  relief  of  such  ministers 
"  here  as  are  put  out  for  not  subscribing  to  the 
"  Articles  tendered  by  the  bishops  ;  also  for  relief 
"  of  Scottish  ministers  and  others,  and  for  other 
"  ])rofi table  and  necessary  uses. 

"  All  the  proviiicial  synods  must  continually  afore- 
"  hand  foresee,  in  due  time,  to  appoint  the  keeping 
"  of  their  next  jwovincial  synods  ;  and  for  the  send- 


CKNT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  5 

"  iiig  of  chosen  persons,  with   certain   instructions,  a. d.  1582. 
"  unto  the  national  synod,  to  be  holden  whensoever — t — !!^ 


"  the   parliament  for  the   kingdom  shall  be  called, 
"  and  at  some  certain  set  time  every  year." 

See  we  here  the  embryo  of  the  presbyterian  dis- 
cipline, lying  as  yet,  as  it  were,  in  the  womb  of 
episcopacy ;  though  soon  after  it  swelled  so  great, 
that  the  mother  must  violently  be  cut  before  the 
child  could  be  delivered  into  the  world,  as  to  the 
public  practice  thereof. 

2,  JNIany  observables  in  these  decrees  offer  them- Several 

T  ,  •  1  y  •  ohserva- 

eelves  to  our  consideration  :  tions  ou 

i.  That  they  were  written  in  Latin,  (whereof  they^'j!^^/"' 
had  two  elegant  penners,  Cartwright  and  Travers,) 
shewing  themselves  no  enemies  to  that  tongue, 
which  some  ignorant  sectaries  afterward  condemned 
for  superstitious,  counting  every  thing  Romish  which 
was  Roman,  and  very  cordials  to  be  poison,  if  lapped 
up  in  Latin. 

ii.  Probably,  as  artists  hang  a  curtain  before  their 
works,  M'hilst  yet  imperfect,  so  these  synodists  thought 
fit  in  Latin  as  yet  to  veil  their  decrees  from  vulgar 
eyes,  seeing  nothing  can  be  projected  and  perfected 
together ;  yea,  the  repetition  of  those  words,  "  doth 
"  seem,"  and  "  it  seemeth,"  (carrying  something  of 
uncertainty  in  them,)  sheweth  these  decrees  as  yet 
admitted  but  as  probationers,  expecting  confirmation 
on  their  good  behaviour. 

iii.  The  election  of  the  people  is  here  made  the 
essence  of  a  call  to  a  pastoral  charge,  to  which  the 
presentation  of  the  most  undoubted  patron  is  called 
in,  but  ad  corroborandum.  As  for  institution  from 
the  bishop,  it  was  superadded,  not  to  coinj)lete  his 

B  3 


6  The  Cfiurch  Fli.sfori/  hook  ix. 

A.D.  isSi.jujjjist^rial    function    in    point    of    conscience,    but 

25  Kliz.  ^  ,  .  . 

lesrallv  to  enable  the  minister  to  recover  his  main- 

tenance  from  the  detainers  thereof. 

iv.  Partial  subscription  is  permitted  to  the  Arti- 
cles of  Religion,  viz.  only  to  the  doctrinal  part 
thereof,  but  none  to  those  wherein  discipline  is  men- 
tioned, especially  to  the  clause  at  the  end  of  the 
twentieth  Article,  "  The  church  hath  power  to  de- 
"  cree  rites  and  ceremonies,"  &c.,  accounted  by  the 
brethren  the  very  sting  in  the  tail  of  the  locusts. 

V.  Those  words,  "  If  subscription  shall  be  urged 
"  again,"  plainly  intimate  that  the  reins  of  episcopal 
government  were  but  loosely  held,  and  the  rigour 
thereof  remitted,  for  the  reasons  by  us  fore-alleged. 

vi.  That  churchwardens  and  collectors  for  the  poor 
are  so  quickly  convertible,  even  in  their  opinion,  into 
elders  and  deacons,  only  with  a  more  solemn  and 
public  election,  sheM'S  the  difference  betwixt  those 
officers  to  be  rather  nominal  than  real. 

vii.  By  "  women  deacons,"  here  mentioned,  we 
understand  such  widows  M'hich  the  apostle  appoint- 
eth  in  the  primitive  church  to  attend  strangers  and 
sick  people,  and  which  Mr.  Cartwright  affirmeth 
ought  still  to  be  continued'';  although  he  confesseth 
"  there  be  learned  men  think  otherwise." 

viii.  Their  "  comitial  assemblies,"  kept  in  the  uni- 
versities at  the  commencements,  (wisely  they  had  an 
eye  on  the  two  eyes  of  the  land,)  were  conveniently 
chosen,  as  safely  shadowed  under  a  confluence  of 
peo])le.  See  we  here,  though  the  matter  of  their 
discipline  might  be  Jure  Dhmo,  human  prudence 
concurred  much  in  the  making  thereof,  as  in  ordering 

*^   In  his  iVtlmonitions,  p.  163,  §.  2. 


CENT.  XVI,  (tf^ Britain.  7 

a  "  national  synod"  alwavs  to  run  parallel  with  the^.D.  15S2. 
parliament.  

ix.  Mention  being  made  of  "  relieving  Scottish 
ministers,"  if  any  ask  what  northern  tempest  blew 
them  hither,  know  they  quitted  their  own  country 
about  this  time,  upon  refusal  of  conformity,  and  found 
benevolence  in  England  a  better  livelihood  than  a 
benefice  in  Scotland. 

X.  The  grand  design  driven  on  in  these  decrees 
was,  to  set  u})  a  discipline  in  a  discipline,  presbytery 
in  episcopacy,  which,  as  appears  in  the  preface,  they 
thought  "  might  well  stand  with  the  peace  of  the 
"  church  ;"  but  this  peace  proved  but  a  truce,  this 
truce  but  a  short  one,  before  both  parties  brake  into 
irreconcilable  hostility. 

Thus  it  is  impossible  to  make  a  subordination  in 
their  practices,  who  have  an  opposition  in  their  prin- 
ciples ;  for  though  such  spheres  and  orbs  which  agree 
in  one  centre  may  proportionably  move  one  within 
another,  yet  such  as  are  eccentrical  can  never  ob- 
serve equal  distance  in  their  motion,  but  will  sag 
aside  to  grind  and  grate  one  the  other.  But  enough 
hereof  at  this  time,  having  jetted  out  a  little  already 
into  the  next  year;  no  offence,  we  hope,  seeing  it 
makes  our  history  more  entire  in  this  subject. 

3.  This    year   Robert    Dickons,   a    Leicestershire  a  Wa?- 
youth,   but,   it    seems,    apprentice    at    Mansell    inher^c"re- 
Nottinghamshire,  having  parts  and  pregnancy  abo ve '^^**™®'^' 
his  age  and  profession,  arrived  at  such  a  height  of 
profaneness,  as  not   only  to  pretend  to  visions,  but 
account  himself  Elijah,  sent   from   God  to  perfect 
some  defects  in  the  prophecy  of  JVIalachi.     But  by 
God's  blessing    on    the    endeavours   of   Mr.  Henry 

B  4 


8  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1582.  Smith,  (whom  his  uncle,  Mr.  Briant  Cave,  this  year 
_I^__!!L  sheriff   of    Leicestershire,    employed    therein,)    this 
heretic  was  reclaimed  '",  renouncing  his  blasphemies 
by  subscription  under  his  own  hand,  and,  for  aught 
I  find  to  the  contrary,  lived  peaceably  and  painfully 
the  remainder  of  his  life. 
The  cha-        4.  This  is  that  Henry  Smith,  born  at  Withcock 
Mr.  Henry  iu  Leicestershire,  of  a  worshipful  family,  and  elder 
^'"'^"'       brother  to  sir  Roger  Smith,  (still  surviving,)  bred  in 
Oxford;  and  afterwards  became  that  famous  preacher 
at  St.  Clement's  Danes  in  London,  commonly  called 
tbe  "  silver-tongued  Smith,"  being  but  one  metal,  in 
l)rice  and  purity,  beneath  St.  Chrysostom  himself  *^. 
Yea,  whereas  generally  the  sermons  of  those  days 
are  now  grown   out  of  fashion,  (such  is  our  age's 
curiosity  and  affectation  of  novelty,)  Smith's  sermons 
keep  up  their  constant   credit,  as  appears  by  their 
daily  impressions,   calculated   for  all   times,   places, 
and  persons :  so   solid,  the  learned  may  partly  ad- 
mire ;  so  i^lain,  the  unlearned  may  perfectly  under- 
stand them.     The  wonder  of  his  worth  is  increased 
by  the  consideration  of  his  tender  age,  dying  very 
young  about  fifty  years  ago  ®. 
The  death       5.  I  find  three  of  such,  who  seemed  pillars  in  the 
Bristow?'  Romish  church,  deceased  this  year :   first,  Richard 
Bristow,  born  in  Worcestershire,  bred  in  Oxford,  in 
Exeter  College,  whence  he  fled  beyond  the  seas,  and 
by  cardinal  Allen  was  made  overseer  of  the  English 

c  See  3Ir.  Smith's  Sermon  Fuller,  in  4to.,  1657,  and  he 

of  the  lost  sheep  found.  prefixed  a   life  to   them,  con- 

^   [See  some  account  of  him  taining  very  little  information.] 

in  Wood's  Athen.  I.  263,  and  ^  Ahout  the  yeav  1600,    as 

in    Strvpe's    Aylmer,    p.    100.  1  am  informed  by  his  brother. 

Jlis  sermons  were  collected  by  [In  1593,  according  to  Wood.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  9 

college,  first  at  Douay,  then  at  Rheims.     He  wrote  a.  d.  1582. 

most  in  English,  {humili  qtiidem  st'ilo,  saitli  one  of ^ 

his  own  opinion  ^,)  but  very  solidly ;  for  proof  where- 
of, let  his  books  against  Dr.  Fulke  be  perused.  For 
the  recovery  of  his  health  he  was  advised  to  return 
into  his  native  land,  and  died  quietly  near  the  city 
of  London  ^. 

6.  The  second,  Nicholas  Harpsfield,  bred  first  in  The  death 
Winchester  School,  then  New  College,  in  Oxford,  Harpsfield. 
where  he  proceeded  doctor  of  law,  and  afterward 
became  archdeacon  of  Canterbury.  Under  king  Ed- 
ward the  Sixth,  he  banished  himself;  under  queen 
Mary,  he  returned,  and  was  advanced ;  and  under 
queen  Elizabeth,  imprisoned  for  denying  her  supre- 
macy. Yet  such  was  his  mild  usage  in  restraint, 
that  he  had  the  opportunity  to  write  much  therein  ; 
and,  amongst  the  rest,  his  Ecclesiastical  History,  no 
less  learnedly  than  painfully  performed  ^  ;  and,  abat- 
ing his  partiality  to  his  own  interest,  well  deserving 
of  all  posterity.  He  wrote  also  six  dialogues  in 
favour  of  his  religion  ^ ;  but,  because  in  durance,  he 
durst  not  set  it  forth  in  his  own,  but  under  the  name 
of  Alan  Cope.  Yet,  lest  truth  should  be  concealed, 
and  friend  defraud  friend  of  his  due  praise,  he  caused 


f  Pitz.  in  Vita,  p.  779.  thington.] 

g  [i8th  Oct.  1581,  according  ^  [Historia  Anglicana  Eccle- 

to  Wood,  Athen.  I.  212,  who  siastica,  a  primis  gentis  suscep- 

has  compiled   a  very  accurate  tae  fidei  incunabulis  ad  nostra 

account  of  his  life  and  writings,  fere  tempora  deducta.     Duac. 

He  was  the  author  of  a  work  fol.  1622.] 

in  considerable  repute   among  i  [Dialogi  sex  contra  summi 

those   of   his   own   persuasion,  pontificatus,    monasticse    vita?, 

entitled  "Motiva  omnibus  Ca-  sanctorum,  sacrarum  imaginum 

"  tholicse  Doctrine  orthodoxis  oppugnatores    et    pseudo-mar- 

"  cultoribus  pernecessaria,"  &c.  tyres.      Antv.    1566.  4to.,    of 

Attrebati,  4to.,  1608.     To  this  which    see  Tanner's   Biblioth. 

work   a  short  account   of   the  p.  199.] 
author  is  prefixed  by  Dr.  Wor- 


10  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1582.  these  capital  letters  to  be  engraved  at  the  end  of  his 

A.  H.  L.  N.  H.  E.  V.  E.  A.  C. 


.li^^Lbook: 


Hereby  mystically  meaning,  Auctor  Hujus  Libri 
Nicholaus  Harpesfeldus,  Edidit  Vero  Eum  Alanus 
Copus.  He  died  this  year,  at  London,  in  prison, 
after  twenty  years'  restraint,  leaving  behind  him  the 
general  reputation  of  a  religious  man  ^. 
The  death  7-  The  third,  Gregory  Martin,  born  at  Macfield 
Martm."'^^  in  Sussex,  bred  with  Campian  in  St.  John's  College 
in  Oxford  ;  tutor  to  Philip  earl  of  Arundel,  eldest 
son  to  Thomas  duke  of  Norfolk.  Afterwards  he 
went  over  beyond  sea,  and  became  divinity  professor 
in  the  college  of  Rheims ;  died  there  October  28th, 
and  is  buried  with  a  large  epitaph  under  a  plain 
monument '. 
Letter  his-  8.  I  sliall  now  witlidraw  myself,  or  at  leastwise 
hTstory.^  staud  by,  a  silent  spectator,  whilst  I  make  room  for 
far  my  betters  to  come  forth  and  speak  in  the  pre- 
sent controversy  of  church  government.  Call  it  not 
cowardice,  but  count  it  caution  in  me,  if  desirous 
in  this  difference  to  lie  at  a  close  guard,  and  offer  as 
little  play  as  may  be  on  either  side,  whilst  the  reader 
shall  behold  the  masters  of  defence  on  both  sides 
engaged  therein  in  these  following  letters  of  state. 
Baronius,  the  great  Roman  annalist,  was  wont  to 
say,  Epistolaris  liistoria  est  optima  historia — "  that 
"  is  the  best  history  which  is  collected  out  of  let- 
"  ters."  How  much  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
(especially  for  the  regulation  of  time)  is  contained 
in  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul !     Of  the  Primitive  His- 

^    [In    1583,    according     to  1   [Pitz.  in  Vita,  p.  781.     See 

Wood's   Life   of  him,   printed  also    the    account    of    him    in 

in  the  Athcn.  I.  214,  and  Tan-  Wood's  Athen.  I.  213.] 
ner,  380.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  11 

tory  the  most  authentical  part  is  what  is  gathered  a.  d.  1582. 

out  of  the  letters  of  the  fathers  ;  and  in  like  manner — 

the  true  estate  of  ecclesiastical  affairs  in  the  days  of 
queen  Elizabeth  may  be  extracted  out  of  the  fol- 
lowing despatches,  and  their  returns,  exhibiting  the 
inclinations  of  their  authors  in  pure  naturals,  without 
any  adulterated  addition,  and  therefore  the  surest  for 
others'  instruction,  and  safest  for  my  own  protection. 

9.  But  one  thing  I  must  clear   in  our  entrance  objection 
thereon,  in  excuse  that  these  letters  are  dateless  as  tg,^^''!^*^^^'^^' 
to  the  day  and  month,  a  ffreat  omission  which  I  have  "^ '^^^^  ^"" 

•'  '        o  swered. 

seen  in  many  originals,  whose  authors  so  minded  the 
matter  that  they  neglected  the  time ;  the  present 
dispatching  of  them  being  date  enough  to  their  pur- 
pose, though  now  the  want  thereof  leaves  posterity 
at  a  loss.  A  blue  coat  without  a  badge  is  but  a 
white  coat  in  effect,  as  nothing  informing  the  be- 
holder to  Avhat  lord  the  bearer  thereof  doth  relate ; 
and  as  little  instructive,  will  some  say,  are  these 
letters  as  to  the  point  of  chronology.  But  be  it 
known  that  no  reader's  stomach  can  be  so  sharp  set 
on  the  criticalness  of  chronology,  but  that,  being  fed 
with  the  certainty  of  the  year,  he  will  not  be  famished 
with  the  uncertainty  of  the  month  or  day.  Indeed, 
as  such  whose  names  are  casually  omitted  in  the 
register  may  recover  the  truth  of  their  age  by  a 
comparative  computation  of  their  years  who  were 
born  about  the  same  time,  so  by  the  mixture  and 
comparing  of  these  dateless  letters  with  those  having 
date  of  secular  affairs,  I  could  competently  have 
collected  and  inserted  the  time ;  save  that  I  loathe  to 
obtrude  any  thing  conjectural  on  the  reader's  belief. 
But  we  must  begin  with  the  ensuing  petition,  as  the 
groundwork  of  all  the  rest : 


A.  D.  1583. 
26  Eliz. 


12  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

"  The  Ministers  of  Kent  to  the  Privy  Council '". 

Thepeti-  "  ;May  it  please  your  honours,  of  your  great  and 
Sdsh'^  "  wonted  favour  towards  the  distressed,  to  consider 
ministers.  ,,  ^^^^^^  following :  Whcreas  M^e  have  been  called  to 
"  subscribe,  in  the  county  of  Kent,  to  certain  Arti- 
"  cles  propounded  by  my  lord's  grace  of  Canterbury 
"  unto  the  ministers  and  preachers :  the  first  con- 
"  cerning  her  majesty's  authority ;  the  second  con- 
"  cerning  no  contrariety  to  the  word  of  God  in  the 
"  Book  of  Common  Prayer  and  administration  of  the 
"  sacraments,  the  book  of  ordering  bishops,  priests, 
*'  and  deacons ;  and  the  third,  that  we  believe  all 
"  things  in  the  book  of  the  Articles  of  Religion  to 
"  be  agreeable  to  the  word  of  God.  Whereupon  all 
"  have  most  willingly  offered  to  subscribe  unto  the 
"  other  two ;  and  being  pronounced  in  the  open 
"  court,  contwnaces  reservata  pcena,  and  so  referred 
"  to  answer  at  law  the  11th  and  13th  of  February, 
"  which  we  feared  would  be  prosecuted  with  much 
*'  trouble  and  no  resolution  to  our  consciences,  we 
"  amongst  the  rest  repaired  with  that  careful  avoid- 
"  ing,  that  we  could,  of  offence  to  his  lordship's 
"  grace,  to  whom  when  we  had  the  first  day  made 
"  known  some  of  our  doubts  concerning  the  first 
"  book  only,  (many  moe  in  number,  and  as  great  in 
"  weight,  concerning  the  first  and  second,  and  some 
"  concerning  the  third  remaining  beside,)  we  have 
"  upon  our  refusal,  and  record  taken  by  public  no- 
*'  tary  of  one  point  only  from  every  particular  refuser, 
"  which  moved  him  thereunto,  and  one  place  of 
"  scripture  adjoined  without  collection,  or  the  reason 

™  [See  Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  123.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  13 

"  of  the  same,  ])ccn  suspended  from  our  ministry  ;  a.  d.  1583. 

"  by  which  occasion,  as  we  fear  that  that  account '■ 

"  which  hath  been  made  of  tlie  consequence  of  our 
*'  cause,  both  in  public  sermons  and  pronouncing 
"  of  sentence  against  us,  namely,  that  in  denying  to 
"  subscribe  to  the  two  aforesaid  Articles,  we  sepa- 
"  rated  ourselves  from  the  church,  and  condemned 
"  the  right  service  of  God  in  prayer,  and  adminis- 
*'  tration  of  the  sacraments  in  the  church  of  England, 
"  and  the  ministry  of  the  same,  and  disobeyed  her 
"  majesty's  authority,  hath  been  intimated  to  your 
"  honours.  So  we  think  it  our  bound  duties,  most 
"  humbly  on  our  knees  to  beseech  your  honours  to 
"  know  and  make  manifest  in  our  behalf  to  her 
"  majesty,  that  which  we  before  the  Lord  in  sim- 
"  plicity  protest :  we  in  all  reverence  judge  of  the 
"  authority  which  is  established,  and  the  persons 
"  which  were  authors  of  those  books,  that  they  did 
"  not  only  speak,  but  also  did  highly  to  the  glory  of 
"  God  promote  the  true  religion  of  God,  and  the 
"  glorious  gosj^el  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  we  so 
"  esteem  of  those  books,  and  there  is  nothing  in 
"  them  to  cause  us  to  separate  ourselves  from  the 
"  unity  of  the  church,  which  in  the  execution  of  our 
"  ministry,  in  participation  of  the  public  prayers  and 
"  sacraments,  we  have  in  our  own  example  testified, 
*'  and  by  public  doctrine  maintained ;  and  that  the 
"  ministry  of  the  Avord  preached,  and  public  adminis- 
"  tration  of  the  sacraments  exercised  in  this  land 
"  according  to  authority,  is,  as  touching  the  substance 
"  of  it,  lawful  and  greatly  blessed  of  God.  And 
"  lastly,  that  we  have  and  always  will  shew  ourselves 
"  obedient  to  her  majesty's  authority  in  all  causes 
"  ecclesiastical  and  civil,  to  whomsoever  it  be  com- 


14  The  Church  Hist oiy  kook  ix. 

A.  D.1583. "  mitted  ;  and  therefore,  that  as  poor  but  most  faith- 
'"'  "  fill  subjects  to  her  majesty,  and  ministers  of  Jesus 
"  Christ,  the  great  cause  we  have  in  hand,  and  which 
"  consequently  (as  we  under  your  honour's  correction 
"  judge)  the  necessary  reformation  of  many  things 
"  in  the  church,  according  unto  God's  word,  may 
"  have  that  sufficient  hearing,  as  all  causes  of  our 
"  refusal  to  subscribe  may  be  known,  and  equally  out 
"  of  God's  word  judged  of,  and  the  lamentable  estate 
*'  of  the  churches  to  which  we  appertain,  with  the 
"  hard  condition  of  us,  may  in  that  manner  that 
"  your  honours'  most  excellent  wisdom  shall  find 
"  expedient  in  the  pity  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  mean 
"  time  be  relieved.  The  Lord  Almighty  vouchsafe, 
"  for  Jesus  Christ  his  sake,  long  to  continue  and 
"  bless  your  honours'  wisdom  and  council,  to  the 
"  great  glory  of  God  and  the  happy  government  of 
"  her  majesty,  and  flourishing  estate  of  this  church 
*'  of  England  ! 

"  Your  Honours'  daily  and  faithful  Orators, 
"  The  Ministers  of  Kent, 
"  which  are  suspended  from  the 

"  execution  of  their  ministry  "." 

The  lords  of  the  council  sent  this  petition,  with 
another  bill  of  complaint  exhibited  unto  them  against 
Edmond  Freak,  bishop  of  Norwich,  unto  the  arch- 


•>     [One    of    the    principal  extent  in  this  kingdom,  of  giv- 

movers  of  this   address  was  a  ing  strange  names  in  baptism  ; 

turbulent  and  conceited  person  such  as  Joy  again,  From  above, 

named  Dudley  Fenner,  who  had  More    Fruit,    Dust,   &c.      See 

no  cure,  nor  was  a  graduate  of  Strype.  ibid.  p.  124,  137,  where 

either  university.     He  was  the  the  tracts  of  these  ministers  are 

author    of    that    farce,    which  summed   up   in    a   paper  from 

afterwards  prevailed  to  a  great  this  man's  writings.] 


CENT.   XVT. 


of  Britain.  15 


bishop  of  Canterbury.  What  his  answer  was  there-A.  d.  1583. 
unto  the  reader  may  inform  himself  out  of  the  fol- ill- 
lowing  letter  : 

"  To  the  Lords  of  the  Councih 
"  Most  Honourable, 
"  Upon    Sunday  last,    in    the    afternoon,   master  The  arch- 
"  Beale  brought  unto  me,  in  your  lordships'  names,  leui^in 
*'  two  supplications  or  bills  of  complaint  exhibited  t^g"gof. 
"  unto  your  lordships :  the  one  by  certain  ministers 
"  of  Suffolk  °,  against  their  diocesan  there ;  the  other 
"  by  some  of  Kent,  against  myself ;  with  this  further 
"  message,  that  it  was  your  desires  I  should  come 
*'  to  the  court  on  Sunday  next.     It  may  please  your 
"  good  lordships  to  be  advertised,  that  it  seemeth 
"  something    strange   to  me   that   the   ministers   of 
"  Suffolk,   finding    themselves    aggrieved    with    the 
"  doings  of  their  diocesan,  should  leave  the  ordinary 
"  course  of  proceeding  by  law,  (which  is  to  appeal 
"  unto  me,)  and  extraordinarily  trouble  your  lordships 
"  in  a  matter  not  so  incident,  as  I  think,  to  that 
"  most  honourable  board  ;  seeing  it  hath  pleased  her 
"  majesty  her  own  self  in  express  words  to  commit 
"  these  causes  ecclesiastical  to  me,  as  to  one  who  is 
"  to  make  answer  to  God,  to  her  majesty  in  this 
"  behalf,   my   office    also    and    place    requiring    the 
"  same. 

"  In  answer  of  the  complaint  of  the  Suffolk  men 
"  of  their  ordinary's  proceeding  against  them,  I  have 
"  herewith  sent  to  your  lordships  a  copy  of  a  letter 
"  which  I  lately  received  from  his  lordship,  wherein 
"  I  think  that  part  of  their  bill  to  be  fully  answered, 

o  [See  Strype's  Annals,  III.  264.] 


16  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1583. "  and  his  doings  to  liave  been  orderly  and  charitable. 
-^  '''"•  "  Touching  the  rest  of  their  bill,  I  know  not  what 
**  to  judge  of  it,  neither  yet  of  what  spirit  it  cometh ; 
"  but  in  some  points  it  talketh,  as  I  think,  modestly 
*'  and  charitably.  They  say  they  are  no  Jesuits  sent 
"  from  Rome  to  reconcile,  &c.  True  it  is,  neither 
"  are  they  charged  to  be  so  ;  but  notwithstanding 
"  they  are  contentious  in  the  church  of  England, 
"  and  by  their  contentions  minister  occasion  of  offence 
"  to  those  which  are  seduced  by  Jesuits,  and  give 
"  the  arguments  against  the  form  of  public  prayer 
"  used  in  this  church  and  by  law  established,  and 
"  thereby  increase  the  number  of  them,  and  confirm 
"  them  in  their  wilfulness.  They  also  make  a  schism 
"  in  the  church,  and  draw  many  other  of  her  ma- 
"  jesty's  subjects  to  a  misliking  of  her  laws  and 
"  government  in  causes  ecclesiastical ;  so  far  are 
"  they  from  persuading  them  to  obedience,  or  at 
"  least,  if  they  persuade  them  to  it  in  the  one  part 
"  of  her  authority,  (it  is  in  causes  civil,)  they  dis- 
"  suade  them  from  it  as  much  in  the  other,  (that  is, 
"  in  causes  ecclesiastical;)  so  that  indeed  they  pluck 
*'  down  with  the  one  hand  that  which  they  seem  to 
"  build  with  the  other.  They  say  that  they  have 
"  faithfully  travelled  in  jiersuading  to  obedience,  &c., 
"  and  have  therein  prevailed,  &c.  It  is  but  their 
"  own  testimony :  I  think  it  were  hard  for  them  to 
"  shew  whom  they  converted  from  papistry  to  the 
"  gospel ;  but  what  stirs  and  dissensions  they  have 
"  made  amongst  those  which  professed  the  gospel 
"  before  they  were  taught  by  them,  I  think  it  to  be 
"  apparent.  It  is  notorious  that  in  king  Edward's 
"  time,  and  in  the  beginning  of  her  majesty's  reign, 
"  for  the  space  of  divers  years,  when  this  selfsame 


CE"NT.  XVI.  i)f  Brit  inn.  17 

"  book  of  public  prayers  was  uiiiformlv  used,  &c.,  byA.i)  i^k^. 

'  ^       *^  •  ,  1     26  Eliz. 

"  all   learned  preachers  maintained,   and   impugned  

"  by  none,  the  gospel  mightily  ]>revailed,  took  great 
"  increase,  and  very  few  were  known  to  refuse  to 
"  communicate  with  us  in  prayer  and  participation 
"  of  the  sacraments.  But  since  this  schism  and 
"  division,  the  contrary  effect  hath  fallen  out ;  and 
"  how  can  it  otherwise  be,  seeing  we  ourselves  con- 
"  demn  that  public  form  and  order  of  prayer  and 
*'  administration  of  the  sacraments,  as  in  divers 
"  points  contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  from  which 
"  (as  in  like  manner  condemning  the  same)  the 
"  papists  do  absent  themselves.  In  the  latter  part  of 
"  their  bill,  containing  tl\e  reasons  why  they  cannot 
"  submit  themselves  to  observe  the  form  prescribed 
"  by  the  book  in  all  points,  I  wonder  either  at  their 
"  ignorance  or  audacity :  they  say  that  the  learned 
"  writers  of  our  time  have  shewed  their  mislikings 
"  of  some  of  our  ceremonies.  The  most  learned 
*'  writers  in  our  times  have  not  so  done,  but  rather 
"  reproved  the  mislikers ;  those  few  that  have  given 
"  contrary  judgment  therein  have  done  more  rashly 
"  than  learnedly,  presuming  to  give  their  censures  of 
"  such  a  church  as  this  is,  not  understanding  the 
"  fruits  of  the  cause,  nor  alleging  any  reason  worth 
"  the  hearing,  especially  one  little  college  in  either 
"  of  our  universities,  containing  in  it  more  learned 
"  men  than  in  their  cities.  But  if  the  authority  of 
"  men  so  greatly  move  them,  why  make  they  so 
"  small  account  of  those  most  excellent  and  learned 
*'  fathers  who  were  the  penners  of  the  book  ?  where- 
"  of  divers  have  sealed  their  religion  with  their 
"  blood,  which  none  yet  have  done  of  the  impugners 
"  of  the  book.     The  pope,  say  they,  hath   changed 

FULLER,  VOL.   V.  C 


18  The  Church  Hislori/  book  ix. 

A.D.  1583. "  his  officium  B.  Marice,  &c.  And  so  it  is;  neither 
— — —~  "  is  there  any  man  that  doubteth  but  the  Book  of 
"  Common  Prayer  may  also  be  altered,  if  there  a})- 
"  pear  good  cause  why  to  those  in  authority.  But 
"  the  pope  will  not  suffer  that  officium  B.  Maria;, 
"  &c.  to  be  preached  against,  or  any  part  thereof, 
"  till  it  w^as  by  public  order  reformed ;  neither  will 
"  he  confess  that  he  hath  reformed  it  in  respect  of 
"  any  errors,  but  such  only  as  did  creep  in  to  the 
"  said  book  through  private  men's  affections,  without 
"  authority.  Therefore  that  argument  is  against 
"  them,  and  only  used  by  them,  as  it  seemeth,  in 
"  contempt ;  the  rest  is  frivolous,  and  argueth  their 
"  presumption  in  writing  this  to  so  honourable  a 
"  board  of  so  worthy  and  godly  a  book,  which  hath 
"  an  hundred  learned  men  to  justify  it  for  one  that 
"  will  impugn  it.  And  thus  much  concerning  them 
"  which  I  have  written  rather  to  satisfy  your  lord- 
"  ships,  than  that  I  thought  the  matter  w^orthy  my 
"  labour.  The  complaint  which  those  of  Kent  (being 
"  of  my  own  diocese,  and  by  oath  bound  to  me  in 
*'  canonical  obedience)  have  exhibited  unto  your 
"  lordships,  doth  make  me  more  to  wonder,  that 
"  tht'y,  most  of  them  being  unlearned  and  young, 
"  (such  as  I  would  be  loath  to  admit  into  the  minis- 
"  try,  if  they  were  not  already  admitted  thereunto, 
"  much  less  to  allow  as  preachers,)  dare  presume  to 
"  bring  my  doings  against  them  into  question  before 
"  your  lordships,  seeing  I  have  done  nothing  but 
"  that  which  God,  the  law,  her  majesty,  and  my 
"  duty  forceth  me  unto ;  dealing  with  them  not  as 
"  an  archbishop  with  the  inferior  sort  of  the  clergy, 
"  nor  as  a  master  of  a  college  with  his  fellows,  nor 
"  as  a  magistrate  witli  his  inferiors,  but  as  a  friend 


CENT.  XVI.  fifBr'itd'in.  19 

"and  a  brother,  which,  as  I  think,  hath  so  puffed  a.  d.  1583. 

'26  Eliz. 

"  them  up,  and  caused  them  to  be  so  ])resum])tu()us. — 

"  They  came  to  me  unsent  for,  in  a  multitude,  which 
"  I  reproved,  because  it  imported  a  conspiracy;  and 
"  had  the  shew  of  a  tumult  or  unlawful  assembly. 
"  Notwithstanding  I  was  content  to  hear  their  com- 
"  plaint ;  I  spent  with  them  the  whole  afternoon, 
"  from  two  of  the  clock  till  seven,  and  heard  their 
"  reasons,  whereof  some  were  frivolous  and  childish, 
"  some  irreligious,  and  all  of  them  such  as  gave  me 
"  occasion  to  think  that  they  rather  sought  quarrel 
"  against  the  book,  than  to  be  satisfied  ;  which  in- 
"  deed  is  true,  as  appeareth  by  some  of  their  own 
"  confessions,  which  I  am  able  to  shew  when  I  shall 
"  be  thereunto  urged.  The  two  whole  days  following 
"  I  spent  likewise,  for  the  most  part,  in  dealing 
"  severally  with  them,  requiring  them  to  give  unto 
*'  me  the  chief  and  principal  of  their  reasons  which 
"  moved  them  not  to  subscribe,  meaning  to  hear 
"  them  in  the  rest  if  I  could  have  satisfied  them  in 
"  it,  or  else  not  to  spend  any  further  time  ;  which 
"  reasons  (if  I  may  so  term  them)  they  gave  unto 
"  me,  and  I  have  and  mean  to  make  known  when 
"  occasion  shall  serve.  Whereas  they  say  in  their  bill 
"  that  the  public  administration  of  the  sacraments  in 
"  this  land  is,  as  touching  the  substance  of  it,  lawful, 
"  &c.,  they  say  no  more  than  the  papists  themselves 
"  do  confess,  and  in  truth  they  say  nothing  in  effect 
"  to  that  wherewith  they  are  charged  ;  and  yet  there- 
"  in  they  are  contrary  to  themselves,  for  they  have 
"  pretended  matter  of  substance  against  the  book. 
"  But  of  what  spirit  cometh  it  that  they,  being  no 
"  otherwise  than  they  are,  dare  to  the  greatest  autho- 
"  rity  in  this  land  next  to  her  majesty  so  boldly  offer 

c  2 


20  Tlie  Church  History  book  ix. 

A,  0.1583."  themselves,  thus  to  reason  and  dispute,  as  in  their 

26  Eliz. 

"  bill   they  vaunt   against   the   state   established  in 

"  matters  of  religion,  and  against  the  book  so  learn- 
"  edly  and  painfully  penned,  and  by  so  great  autho- 
"  rity  from  time  to  time  confirmed.  It  is  not  for  me 
"  to  sit  in  this  place,  if  every  curate  within  my 
"  diocese  or  province  may  be  permitted  so  to  use 
"  me ;  neither  is  it  possible  for  me  to  perform  the 
"  duty  which  her  majesty  looketh  for  at  my  hands, 
"  if  I  may  not  without  interruption  proceed  in  exe- 
"  cution  of  that  which  her  highness  hath  especially 
"  committed  unto  me.  The  gospel  can  take  no 
"  success,  neither  the  number  of  papists  be  dimi- 
"  nished,  if  unity  be  not  procured ;  which  I  am  not 
"  in  doubt  in  short  time  to  bring  to  pass,  without 
"  any  great  ado  or  inconvenience  at  all,  if  it  be  not 
"  hindered.  The  number  of  those  which  refuse  to 
"  subscribe  is  not  great ;  in  most  parts  of  my  jiro- 
"  vince  not  one,  in  some  very  few,  and  in  some  none, 
"  whereof  many  also  and  the  greater  part  are  un- 
"  learned  and  unworthy  the  ministry.  In  mine  own 
"  little  diocese  in  Canterbury  threescore  preachers 
"  and  above  have  subscribed ;  whereas  there  are  not 
"  ten  worthy  the  name  of  preachers  which  have  as 
"  yet  refused,  and  most  of  them  also  not  allowed 
"  preachers  by  lawful  authority ;  and  so  I  know  it 
*'  to  be  in  all  other  dioceses  within  my  province,  the 
*'  diocese  of  Norwich  only  excei)ted ;  wherein  never- 
"  theless  the  number  of  the  disordered  is  far  less 
"  than  the  number  of  such  as  are  obedient  and 
*'  quietly  disposed.  Now  if  these  few  disordered 
"  (which  the  church  may  well  spare,  having  meeter 
"  men  to  place  in  their  rooms)  shall  be  countenanced 
"  against  the  best,  the  wisest  in  all  respects,   the 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  21 

"  worthiest,  and  in  effect  the  whole  state  of  the  a.  0.1583 
"  clergy,  it  will  not  only  discourage  the  dutiful  and 
'*  obedient  persons,  but  so  increase  the  schism,  that 
"  there  Avill  never  hereafter  be  hope  of  appeasing 
"  the  same.  This  disordered  flocking  together  of 
"  them  at  this  time  from  divers  places,  and  gadding 
"  from  one  to  another,  argueth  a  conspiracy  amongst 
"  them,  and  some  hope  of  encouragement,  and  of 
"  prevailing ;  which  I  am  persuaded  is  not  meant, 
"  nor  shall  ever  be  by  me  willingly  consented  unto. 
"  Some  of  them  have  already,  as  I  am  informed, 
*'  bruited  abroad  that  your  lordships  have  sent  for 
"  me  to  answer  their  complaints,  and  that  they  hope 
"  to  be  delivered ;  wherein  I  know  they  report  un- 
"  truly,  as  the  manner  is,  for  I  cannot  be  persuaded 
'*  that  your  lordships  have  any  such  intent  as  to 
"  make  me  a  party,  or  to  call  my  doings  into  ques- 
"  tion,  which  from  her  majesty  are  immediately  com- 
"  mitted  unto  me,  and  wherein,  as  I  suppose,  I  have 
"  no  other  judge  but  herself.  And  forasmuch  as  I 
"  am  by  God  and  her  majesty  lawfully,  without  any 
"  ordinary  or  extraordinary  or  unlawful  means,  called 
"  to  this  place  and  function,  and  appointed  to  be 
"  your  pastor,  and  to  have  the  greatest  charge  over 
"  you  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  soul,  I  am  the 
"  more  bold  to  move  and  desire  you  to  aid  and  assist 
"  me  in  matters  belonging  to  my  ofiice  ;  namely,  such 
"  as  appertain  to  the  quietness  of  the  church,  the 
"  credit  of  religion  established,  and  the  maintenance 
"  of  the  laws  made  for  the  same.  And  here  I  do 
"  protest  and  testify  unto  your  lordships,  that  the 
"  three  Articles  whereunto  they  are  moved  to  sub- 
"  scribe  are  such  as  I  am  ready  by  learning  to  defend, 
"  in  manner  and  form  as  they  are  set  down,  against 

c  3 


22  The  Cfmrch.  Histary  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1583.  "  all  iiiislikers  thereof  in  England  or  elsewhere.  And 

26  Eliz.  ,       .    .  111.  IT- 

"  thus  desiring  your  lordships  to  take  this  my  answer 

"  ill  good  part,  and  to  forbear  my  coming  thither  in 
"  respect  of  this  advantage  that  may  be  taken  thereof 
"  by  these  wayward  persons,  I  beseech  Almighty 
"  God  long  to  prosper  you. 

"  Your  good  Lordships'  in  Christ, 

"  John  Cantuar." 

The  cha-  Who  tliis  Mr.Bealo  was  who  brought  these  letters, 
Mn'^Beaie  ^^  worthy  our  iuquiiy.  I  find  his  Christian  name 
Y^'^  ^    ,    Robert,  his  office  clerk  of  the  council,  his  abilities 

brought  the 

bills.  very  great,  as  may  appear  by  the  public  negociations 

wherein  he  was  emj^loyed ;  for  he  was  joined  with 
sir  William  Winter,  anno  1576,  in  a  commission  to 
the  Zealanders,  about  their  reprisals  ;  and  again,  anno 
1583,  he  was  sent  to  the  queen  of  Scots,  sharply  to 
expostulate  with  her  concerning  some  querulous 
letters.  Well  knew  queen  Elizabeth  what  tools  to 
use  on  knotty  timber,  our  author  giving  IMr.  Beale 
this  character,  that  he  was  homo  vehemens,  et  austere 
acerhus  p, — an  eager  man,  and  most  austerely  bitter. 
His  affections  were  wholly  jiresbyterian,  and  I  behold 
him  as  one  of  the  best  friends  (of  the  second  magni- 
tude) that  party  had.    What  he  wanted  in  authority, 


P  Camdeiii  Elizabetha,  p.  was  also  a  very  bitter  enemy  to 
359.  [He  was  a  man  of  more  Mary  queen  of  Scots,  treating 
zeal  than  discretion.  He  ad-  her  with  much  indecent  seve- 
vised  Cecil  that  the  parliaments  rity,  for  which  he  afterwards 
under  queen  iMary  should  be  fell  into  disgrace.  He  has 
declared  void,  the  title  of  Sit-  given  some  account  both  of 
premc  Head  having  been  left  himself  and  his  foreign  em- 
out  of  the  summons ;  which  ployments  in  a  letter  to  the 
counsel  Cecil  very  wisely  reject-  lord  treasurer,  printed  in 
ed.    See  Burnet,  H.  753.      He  Strype's  Annals,  IV.  p.  82.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  23 

he  had  in  activity  on  their  sides;  and  what  influenceA. d.  1584. 

''6  Eliz 

sometimes  the  hands  have  on  the  head  (I  mean  no-_: L 

taries  on  the  judges  themselves)  at  council-board, 
others  may  conjecture.  He  either  compiled  or  coun- 
tenanced a  book  made  against  the  bishops ;  and  the 
reader  may  receive  a  further  confirmation  of  his 
character  herein  from  the  following  complaint : 

"  To  the  Lord  Treasurer  q. 

"  My  singular  good  Lord, 
"I  have  borne  much  with  Mr.  Beale's  intempe- Archbishop 

1       <•        1   •  Whitgift 

rate  speeches,  unseemly  tor  him  to  use,  though  not  his  letter 
in  respect  of  myself,  yet  in  respect  of  her  majesty  [."go/*'"" 
whom   he   serveth,   and   of   the  laws   established,  ^''^'f*'  "^- 

'  '  solent  car- 

whereunto  he  ought  to  shew  some  duty.     Yester-  "a^e  to- 

_  wards  him. 

day  he  came  to  my  house,  as  it  seemed  to  demand 
the  book  he  delivered  unto  me  ;  I  told  him  that 
the  book  was  written  to  me,  and  therefore  no 
reason  why  he  should  require  it  again,  especially 
seeing  I  was  assured  that  he  had  a  copy  thereof, 
otherwise  I  would  cause  it  to  be  written  out  for 
him  ;  whereupon  he  fell  into  very  great  passions 
with  me  (which  I  think  was  the  end  of  his  coming) 
for  proceeding  in  the  execution  of  his  Articles,  &c., 
and  told  me  in  effect  that  I  would  be  the  over- 
throw of  this  church,  and  a  cause  of  tumult,  with 
many  other  bitter  and  hard  speeches,  which  T  heard 
patiently,  and  wished  him  to  consider  with  what 
spirit  he  was  moved  so  to  say ;  for  I  said  it  cannot 
be  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  because  the  Spirit  of  God 
worketh  in  men  humility,  patience,  and  love,  and 

^   [A  more  correct  copy  of  part  of  this  letter  will  be  found 
in  Strype's  Whitj^ift,  p.  147.I 

c  4 


24  The  Church  Histury  book  ix. 

A.p.  1584.  «•  your  words  declare  you  to  be  very  arrogant,  proud, 

'-  "  impatient,  and  uncharitable.     Moreover  the  Spirit 

"  of"  God  moveth  men  to  hear  the  word  of  God  with 
"  meekness,  &c. :  and  vou  have  almost  heard  with 
"  disdain  every  sermon  preached  before  her  majesty 
"  this  Lent,  gibing  and  gesting  openly  thereat  even 
"  in  the  sermon  time,  to  the  offence  of  many,  and 
"  especially  at  such  sermons  as  did  most  commend 
"  her  majesty  and  the  state,  and  moved  the  auditory 
"  to  obedience ;  which  he  confessed  and  justified, 
"  accusing  some  of  the  preachers  of  false  doctrine 
'*  and  wrong  allegations  of  scripture,  &c.  Then  he 
"  began  to  extol  his  book  "■,  and  said  we  were  never 
*'  able  to  answer  it,  neither  for  the  matter  of  divinity 
"  nor  yet  of  law.  I  told  him,  as  the  truth  is,  that 
"  there  was  no  great  substance  in  the  book,  that  it 
"  might  be  very  soon  answered,  and  that  it  did 
"  appear  neither  his  divinity  nor  law  to  be  great. 
"  I  further  wished  him  to  be  better  advised  of  his 
"  doings,  and  told  him  indeed  that  he  was  one  of  the 
"  principal  causes  of  the  waywardness  of  divers,  be- 
"  cause  he  giveth  encouragement  to  divers  of  them 
"  to  stand  in  the  matter,  telling  them  that  the  Arti- 
"  cles  shall  be  shortly  revoked  by  the  council,  and 
"  that  my  hands  shall  be  stopped,  &c. ;  which  saying 
"  is  sj^read  abroad  already  in  every  place,  and  is  the 
"  only  cause  w^hy  many  forbear  to  subscribe  ;  which 
"  is  true,  neither  could  he  deny  it.  All  this  while  I 
"  talked  with  him  jirivately  in  the  upper  part  of  my 
"  gallery,  my  lord  of  Winchester  and  divers  strangers 
"  being  in  the  other  part  thereof;  but  Mr.  Beale 
"  beginning  to  extend  his  voice  that  all  might  hear, 

r  [See  an  abstract  of  its  contents  in  Strype's  Whitgift^  p.  143.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  25 

"I  began  to  break   off;  then  he,  being  more  and a.d.  1584. 

"  more  knicllcd,  very  impatiently  uttered  very  proud 

"  and  contemptuous  speeches  in  the  justifying  of  his 
"  book  and  condemning  of  the  orders  established,  to 
"  the  offence  of  all  the  hearers ;  whereunto  (being 
"  very  desirous  to  be  rid  of  him)  I  made  small  an- 
"  swer,  but  told  him  that  his  speeches  were  intole- 
"  rable,  that  he  forgat  himself,  and  that  I  would 
"  complain  of  him  to  her  majesty;  whereof  he  seemed 
"  to  make  small  account,  and  so  he  departed  in  great 
"  heat.  I  am  loath  to  hurt  him,  or  to  be  an  accuser, 
"  neither  will  I  proceed  therein  further  than  your 
"  lordship  shall  think  it  convenient ;  but  I  never  was 
"  abused  more  by  any  man,  at  any  time  in  my  life, 
"  than  I  have  been  by  him  since  my  coming  to  this 
"  place,  in  hardness  of  speech  for  doing  my  duty,  and 
"  for  all  things  belonging  to  my  charge.  Surely,  my 
"  lord,  this  talk  tendeth  only  to  the  increasing  of  the 
"  contention,  and  to  the  animating  of  the  wayward 
"  in  their  waywardness,  casting  out  dangerous  speeches 
"  as  though  there  were  likelihood  of  some  tumult  in 
"  respect  thereof;  whereas  in  truth,  God  be  thanked, 
"  the  matter  groweth  to  greater  quietness  than  I 
"  think  he  wisheth,  and  will  be  soon  quieted  if  we 
"  be  let  alone,  and  they  not  otherwise  encouraged. 
"  It  seemeth  he  is  some  way  discontented,  and  would 
"  work  his  anoer  on  me.  The  tonsfues  of  these  men 
"  taste  not  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Your  lordship 
"  seeth  how  bold  I  am  to  impart  unto  you  my 
"  private  causes.  Truly  if  it  were  not  that  my  con- 
"  science  is  settled  in  these  matters,  and  that  I  am 
"  fully  persuaded  of  the  necessity  of  these  proceed- 
"  ings  in  respect  of  the  peace  of  the  church  and  due 
"  observation  of  God's  laws,  and  that  I  received  great 


26  The  Church  Histoiy  book  ix. 

A.D.  1584."  comfort  at  her  majesty's  hand,  (as  I  did  most  effec- 
^  "  tuallj  at  my  last  being  at  the  court,)  and  that  I 

"  were  assured  of  your  lordship's  constancy  in  the 
"■  cause,  and  of  your  unmovable  good-will  towards 
"  me,  I  should  be  hardly  able  to  endure  so  great  a 
"  burden,  which  now,  I  thank  God,  in  respect  of  the 
"  premises  seemeth  easy  unto  me,  neither  do  I  doubt 
"  but  God  will  therein  prosper  me.  Thus  being  de- 
"  sirous  to  impart  this  matter  to  your  lordship,  to 
"  whose  consideration  I  leave  it,  I  commit  you  to 
"  the  tuition  of  Almighty  God. 

"  [From  my  house  at  Lambeth,  May  6th,  1584.] 

"  John  Cantuar." 

Nor  have  I  aught  else  to  say  of  this  Mr.  Beale  ^ 
but  that  afterwards  I  find  one  of  his  name  and  qua- 
lity dying  I6OI  S  and  buried  in  London,  at  Allhallows 
in  the  Wall,  who  by  all  probability  should  be  the 
same  person.  Now  that  the  presbyterian  party  was 
not  unfriended  at  the  council-board,  but  had  those 
there  which  (either  out  of  dictates  of  their  conscience, 
or  reasons  of  state,  or  reflections  on  their  private 
interests)  endeavoured  to  mitigate  the  archbishop's 
proceedings  against  them,  let  their  ensuing  letter  to 
him  be  perused  ": 

s    [Strype  has  given  several  166.      But    in   justification   of 

instances  of  the  vulgar  iniper-  Fuller's  accuracy,   it   must  be 

tinence    and    conceitedness    of  observed  that  in  general  such 

this  man.     See  particularly  the  letters  which   he   has   printed. 

Life  of  Whitgift,  p.  148.]  and  which  I  have  had  an  oppor- 

^  Robert  Beale,  esq.    Stow's  tunityofcomparingwiththeori- 

Survey  of  London,  p.  183.  ginals,  are  given  very  exactly; 

»   [This  letter  was  directed  and  these  letters,  which  he  pro- 

to  Aylmer,  bishop  of  London,  fesses  to  have  extracted  from 

as  well   as  to  the   archbishop.  Whitgift's  copy-book,  are  pro- 

A  more   correct  copy  of  it   is  bably   as    correctly  printed   as 

printed  in  Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  the   rest,  although   they  differ 


CENT.   XVI. 


of  Britain.  27 


"After  our  hearty  commendations  to  both  your  a.  d.  1584. 

.26  Eliz. 

"  lordships,  althoudi  we  have  heard  ot   late   tmies- — 

•  (»      1   •     ^^'^  privy 

"  sundry  complaints  out  of  divers  countries  of  this  counsellors' 

,  „  T  .       ,  J.  u       letter  to  tlie 

"  realm,  of  some  proceedings  against  a  great  number archi.ishop, 

"  of  ecclesiastical  persons,  some  parsons  of  churches,  J^e  noT,l!on- 

"  some  vicars,  some  curates,  but  all  ]ircachers  ;  where- ^o^mists. 

"  by  some  were  deprived  of  their  livings,  some  sus- 

"  pended  from  their  ministry  and  preaching :  yet  we 

"  have  forborne  to  enter  into  any  particular  exami- 

"  nation  of  such  complaints,  thinking  that  howsoever 

"  inferior  officers  (as  chancellors,  commissaries,  arch- 

"  deacons,  and  such-like,  whose  offices  are  of  more 

"  value  and  profit  by  such-like  kind  of  proceedings) 

"  might  in  such  sort  proceed  against  the  ministers 

"  of  the  church,  yet  your  lordship,  the  archbishop 

"  of  that  province  of  Canterbury,  have  besides  your 

"  general  authority  some  particular  interest  in  the 

"  present  jurisdiction   of  sundry  bishoprics   vacant. 

"  And  you  also,  the  bishop  of  London,  both  for  your 

"  own  authority  in  your  diocese,  and  as  head  com- 

"  missioner  ecclesiastical,  would  have  a  pastoral  [re- 

"  gard]  over  the  particular  officers,  to  stay  and  tem- 

"  per  them  in  their  hasty  proceedings  against  the 

"  ministers,  and  especially  against  such  as  do  ear- 

"  nestly  profess  and  instruct  the  people  against  the 

"  dangerous  sects  of  papistry ;  but  yet  of  late,  hear- 

"  ing  of  the  lamentable  estate  of  the  church  in  the 

"  county  of  Essex,  that  is,   of  a  great  number  of 

"  zealous    and    learned    preachers    there   suspended 

"  from  their  cures,  the  vacancy  of  the  places  for  the 

much  from  Strvpe's  copies.  The  drafts  ;  and  such  discrepancies 
reason  is  evident :  Strype  tran-  are  not  unusual.      See  the  let- 
scribed  the  originals  which  were  ters  of  Fox  in  the  former  pages 
actually   sent   to   the   different  of  tiiis  History.] 
persons  ;      Fuller     the     rough 


28  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  p.  1584. "  most    part,    without    any  ministry   of   preachinof, 

26  Eliz.  .^10 

"  prayers,   and   sacraments,  and   in   some   places   of 

"  certain  appointed  to  those  void  rooms,  being  per- 
"  sons  neither  of  learning  nor  of  good  name,  and  in 
"  other  places  of  that  county  a  great  number  of 
"  })arsons  occupying  the  cures  being  notoriously 
"  unfit,  most  for  lack  of  learning,  many  charged  or 
"  chargeable  with  great  and  enormous  faults,  as 
"  drunkenness,  filthiness  of  life,  gaming  at  cards, 
"  haunting  of  alehouses,  and  such-like,  against  whom 
"  we  hear  not  of  any  proceedings,  but  that  they  are 
"  quietly  suffered,  to  the  slander  of  the  church,  to 
"  the  offence  of  good  people,  yea  to  the  famishing  of 
"  them  for  lack  of  good  teaching,  and  thereby  dan- 
"  gerous  to  the  subverting  of  many  weaklings  from 
"  their  duties  to  God  and  the  queen's  majesty,  by 
"  secret  Jesuits  and  counterfeit  papists ;  and  having 
"  thus  in  a  general  sort  heard  out  of  many  parts,  of 
"  the  like,  of  this  lamentable  estate  of  the  church,  yet 
"  to  the  intent  we  should  not  be  deceived  with  the 
"  generality  of  reports,  we  sought  to  be  informed  of 
*'  some  particulars,  namely,  of  some  parts  of  Essex  ; 
"  and  having  received  the  same  credibly  in  writing,  we 
"  have  thought  it  our  duties  to  her  majesty  and  the 
"  realm,  for  the  remedy  hereof,  without  intermeddling 
"  ourselves  with  your  jurisdiction  ecclesiastical,  to 
"  make  report  unto  your  lordships,  as  persons  that 
"  ought  most  specially  to  have  regard  thereto,  as 
"  we  hope  you  will,  and  therefore  have  sent  you 
"  herewith  in  writing  a  catalogue  of  the  names  of 
"  persons  of  sundry  natures  and  conditions ;  that  is, 
*'  one  sort,  being  reported  to  be  learned,  zealous, 
"  and  good  preachers,  deprived  and  suspended,  and 
"  so  the  cures  not  served  with  meet  persons  ;  the 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britmn.  29 

"  other  sort  a  number  of  persons,  having  cures,  being  a.  d.  1584. 

"  in  sundry  sorts  far  unmeet  for  any  offices  in  the  - — '-^^ 

"  church,  for  their  many  defects  and  imperfections, 

"  and  so,  as  it  seems  by  the  reports,  have  been  and 

"  are  suffered  to  continue  without  reprehension  or 

"  any  other  proceedings  against  them,  and  thereby  a 

"  great  number  of  Christian  people  untaught,  a  mat- 

"  ter  very  lamentable  in  this  time  ;  in  a  third  sort  a 

"  number  having  double  livings  v^^ith   cure,  and  so 

"  not  resident  upon  their  cures,  but  yet  enjoying  the 

"  benefit   of   their  benefices    without    any   personal 

"  attendance   upon  their  cures.     Against   all  these 

"  sorts  of  lewd,  evil,  unprofitable,  and  corrupt  mem- 

"  bers,  we  hear  of  no  inquisition,  nor  of  any  kind  of 

*'  proceeding  to   the  reformation   of  those  horrible 

"  offences  in  the  church,  but  yet  of  great  diligence, 

"  yea,  and   extremity   used   against   those   that  are 

"  known  diligent  preachers.     Now  therefore  we,  for 

"  the  discharge  of  our  duties,  being  by  our  vocation 

"  under  her  majesty  bound  to  be  careful  that  the 

*'  universal    realm    may  be   well    governed,   to    the 

"  honour  and  glory  of  God,  and  to  the  discharge  of 

"  her  majesty,  being  the  principal  governor  over  all 

"  her  subjects  under  Almighty  God,  do  most  ear- 

"  nestly  desire  your  lordships  to  take  some  charitable 

"  consideration  of  these  causes,  that  the  people  of 

"  the  realm  may  not  be  deprived  of  their  pastors, 

"  being    diligent,   learned,   and    zealous,   though   in 

"  some  points  ceremonial,  they  may  seem  doubtful 

"  only  in  conscience,  and  not  of  wilfulness  ;  nor  that 

"  their  cures  be  suffered  to  be  vacant  without  good 

"  pastors,  nor  that  such  as  be  placed  in  the  rooms 

"  of  cures  be  insufficient  for  learning  or  unmeet  for 

"  their  conversation.     And  though  the  notes  which 


30  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1584."  we  send  you  be  only  of  parsons  belonging  to  Essex, 

"  yet  Ave  pray  you  to  look  into  the  rest  of  the  coun- 

''  try  in  many  other  dioceses ;  for  we  have  and  do 
"  hear  daily  of  the  like  in  generality  in  many  other 
"  places,  but  we  have  not  sought  to  have  their  par- 
"  ticulars  so  manifestly  delivered  of  other  places  as 
"  of  Essex,  or  rather,  to  say  the  truth,  of  one  corner 
"  of  the  country.  And  we  shall  be  most  glad  to 
"  hear  of  your  cares  to  be  taken  for  remedy  of  these 
"  enormities,  so  as  we  be  not  troubled  hereafter,  or 
"  hear  of  the  like  complaints  to  continue  ;  and  so 
"  we  bid  your  good  lordships  right  heartily  farewell. 
"  [Dated  from  Oatlands,  the  20th  of  September, 
"  1584.] 

"  Your  Lordships'  loving  Friends, 

"  William  Burley, 

"  George  Shrewsbury, 

"  A.  Warwick, 

'*  R.  Leicester, 

"  C.  Howard, 

"  I.  Croft, 

"  Christopher  Hatton, 

"  Francis  Walsingham  ^."' 


-    [Upon   this   letter,   which  "  chiefly,  as  we  see,  upon  sur- 

was   procured   from   the   privy  "  mises  which  they  had  taken 

council    by    the     discontented  "  up  from  the  information  and 

ministers  of  Essex,  princij)ally  "  reports    of    the     disafl^ected 

through  the  mediation  of  some  "  faction  concerning  the  great 

potent  courtiers,  who  conceived  "  abilities  and  learning  of  them- 

that  they  might  best  promote  "  selves,  and  the  ignorance  and 

their  designs  upon  the  church  "  scandalous  lives  of  the  obe- 

lands  by  flattering  this  discon-  "  dient  and  conformable  clergy; 

tented    party,    honest    Strype  "  which,    however,    was    in    a 

makes   the   following  observa-  "  great  part  false  and  uncha- 

tion  :"  This  letter  of  the  lords,  "  ritably     given     out."       The 

"  so  careful  for  the  good  estate  weakness  and  ignorance  of  this 

"  of  the  church,  was  grounded  self-conceited    party  has    been 


CKNT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  31 

Amongst  these  privy  eoiiiisellors  I  miss  one  who  a.  d  1584. 

was  mainly  material,  namely,  sir  Francis  Knowles, !l_ 

treasurer  of  the  queen's  household,  and  knight  of 
the  garter,  father-in-law  to  the  earl  of  Leicester,  and 
no  less  considerable  in  himself  than  in  his  relations. 
This  knio-ht  beino^  bred  a  banished  man  in  Germany 
during  the  reign  of  queen  Mary,  and  conversing  with 
Mr.  Calvin  at  Geneva,  was  never  after  fond  of  epi- 
scopacy, and  though  now  casually  absent  from  the 
council-board,  was  a  great  patron  of  the  noncon- 
formists • .  But  see  the  archbishop's  answer  to  their 
letter^ : 

"  It  may  please  your  good  lordships  to  be  adver-  Ti,e  arch- 
"  tised  that  I  have  received  your  letters  of  the  twen- ^wer* to%1be 
"  tiethof  this  month  %  with  a  schedule  inclosed  therein,  sei'iorsMe"" 
*'  concerning  certain  ministers  in  Essex  ;  whereunto  te>' 
"  as  yet  I  cannot  make  any  full  answer,  by  reason  of 
"  the  absence  of  my  lord  of  London,  to  whom  the 
"  letter   is    also    directed,   and    the    parties  therein 
"  named  best  known  as  being  in  his  diocese.  Never- 
"  theless,  in  the  mean  time,  I  thought  it  my  part  to 
"  signify  unto  your  lordships  that  I  hope  the  infor- 
"  mation  to  be  in  most  parts  unjust.     Certain  men 
"  being  in  and  about  Maldon,  because  they  cannot 
"  have   such   among   them   as   by   disorderliness   do 
"  best  content  their  humours,  did  not  long  since  in 
"  like  manner,  in  a  generality,  make  an  information 


often  enough  exposed,  but  they  Burghley,  full  indeed  of  crude 

have  not  ceased  to  repeat  the  notions  and  bad  reasoning.] 

same    falsehoods    against    men  ^   ^j^   more  correct   coj)y  of 

much    wiser    and    better    than  this  letter  will  also  be  found  in 

themselves.]  Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  167.] 

y   [In    confirmation   of    this  ^   [September.] 
statement,  see  his  letter  to  lord 


32  The  Church  Histori/  book  ix, 

A.D.  1584. "to  the  same  effect,  which  coming  to  mine  and 
— — '^  "  others'  hands  of  the  ecclesiastical  commission,  we 
'•  did  direct  our  letters  to  some  of  the  i)rincipal 
"  of  them  by  name,  requiring  them  to  exliibit  unto 
"  us,  at  the  beginning  of  this  next  term  now  next 
"  ensuing,  the  names  of  siicli  offensive  ministers  as 
"  they  thought  to  be  touched  with  such  dishonest 
"  conversation,  together  with  their  proofs  thereof, 
"  promising  on  our  parts  to  see  the  same  redressed 
"  accordingly.  It  seemeth  by  this  which  is  exhibited 
"  now  to  your  lordships  they  have  prevented  the 
"  time,  hoping  thereby  to  alter  the  course.  Where- 
"  unto  it  tendeth,  I  leave  to  your  lordships'  consider- 
"  ation.  Surely  if  the  ministers  be  such  as  this 
"  schedule  reporteth,  they  are  worthy  to  be  -griev- 
"  ously  punished  ;  and,  for  my  own  part,  I  will  not 
"  be  slack  or  remiss  (God  willing)  therein  ;  but  if 
"  that  fall  out  otherwise  upon  trial,  and  that  they  or 
"  many  of  them,  in  respect  of  their  obedience  to 
"  her  majesty's  laws,  be  thus  depraved  by  such  as 
"  impugn  the  same,  then  I  doubt  not  but  your  lord- 
"  ship  will  judge  those  accusers  to  deserve  just  pu- 
"  nishment.  This  T  can  assure  your  lordships  of, 
"  that  my  lord  of  London  affirmed  in  my  hearing 
"  that  not  long  since,  ujDon  that  occasion  that  none 
"  or  few,  at  his  or  his  archdeacon's  visitations,  had 
"  at  any  time  by  the  churchwardens  or  sworn  men 
"  been  detected  or  presented  for  any  such  misde- 
"  meanors  as  are  now  supposed  against  them.  Of 
"  the  preachers  which  are  said  to  be  put  there  to 
"  silence,  I  know  but  few ;  notwithstanding  I  know 
"  those  few  to  be  very  factious  in  the  church,  con- 
"  temners  in  sundry  points  of  the  ecclesiastical  laws, 
"  and  chief  authors  of  disquietness  in  that  part  of 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  33 

"  the  country;  and  such   as  I,  for  my  part,  cannot-^i^- '584- 

"  (doing  my   duty  with   a   good    conscience)  suffer 

"  without  their  further  conformity  to  execute  their 
"  ministry.  But  your  lordships  (God  wilHng)  shall 
"  have  a  more  particular  answer  to  every  point  of 
"  your  letter  when  my  lord  of  London,  who  is  now 
"  at  his  house  in  the  country,  and  I  shall  meet  and 
"'  have  conferred  thereupon.  In  the  mean  time  I 
"  trust  that  neither  there  nor  elsewhere  within  this 
"  province,  either  by  myself  or  others  of  my  brethren, 
"  any  thing  is  or  shall  be  done  which  doth  not  tend 
"  to  the  peace  of  the  church,  the  working  of  obe- 
"  dience  to  laws  established,  the  encouragement  of 
"  the  most,  the  godliest,  and  most  learnedest  minis- 
"  ters  in  this  church  of  England,  and  to  the  glory 
"  of  God  ;  to  whose  protection  I  commit  your  good 
"  lordships. 

["  Dated  from  Croydon,  September  the  27th, 
"  1584."] 

Now  although  we  find  sir  Christopher  Hatton 
(for  company's  sake,  as  we  humbly  conceive  it) 
amongst  the  privy  counsellors,  subscribing  for  mode- 
ration to  nonconformists,  yet  we  take  him  to  be  a 
zealous  stickler  for  the  pressing  church  ceremony ; 
and  although  I  look  on  the  words  of  the  Jesuit  as  a 
mere  scandal,  when  he  saith  that  this  Hatton  was 
animo  catholictis,  (a  papist  in  his  heart  ^,)  yet  I  know 
him  to  be  no  favourer  of  the  presbyterian  party,  but  a 
great  countenancer  of  Whitgift's  proceedings  against 
them,  as  appears  by  the  following  address  of  the  arch- 
bishop unto  him : 

^  Peter  Ribadenoira  in  iiis  Appendix  to  Sanders,  p.  41. 

FULLER,  VOL.   V.  t 


34 


Tlie  C/iurch  Hi,sior< 


BOOK    IX. 


A.  D.  1584. 

26  Eliz. 

"  To  sir  Christopher  Hatton  ^. 

"  Right  Honourable, 
bisho^'?'  "  ^  ^^^^  y^^  most  hearty  thanks  for  that  most 
gratuiatoiy  «  friendly  message  which  you  sent  unto  me  by  your 
"  man,  Mr.  Kemp.  I  shall  think  myself  bound  unto 
"  you,  therefore,  as  long  as  I  live.  It  hath  not  a 
"  little  comforted  me,  having  received  not  long  since 
"  unkind  speeches  where  I  least  looked  for  them, 
"  only  for  doing  my  duty  in  the  most  necessary  bu- 
"  siness  which  I  have  in  hand  *^.     I  marvel  how  it 


letter  to  sir 
(  hristopher 
Hatton. 


^  [The  principal  part  of  this 
letter  is  in  Strype's  Whitgift, 
p.  224,  who  has  given  the  date 
of  it  to  July  16,  1585.] 

c  [He  refers  to  lord  Bur- 
leigh, a  censure  which  that 
statesn>an  richly  deserves,  who 
with  his  characteristic  wiliness 
was  anxious  to  press  confor- 
mity for  political  purposes, 
though  caring  very  little  about 
it  in  a  religious  p,)int  of  view. 
Thus  while  at  one  time  his  let- 
ters betray  an  anxiety  for  hav- 
ing nonconformists  punished 
and  brought  before  the  bishops, 
at  other  times  he  requests  that 
they  may  not  be  molested  ;  de- 
siring only  to  shuffle  off  from  his 
own  shoulders  and  from  the  go- 
vernment the  risk  and  responsi- 
bility of  their  punishment.  It 
will  be  sufficient  to  refer  to 
various  papers  ])ut  forth  at  this 
time  in  proof  of  this  statement. 
Thus  in  a  proclamation  dated 
Greenwich,  Oct.  20,  1573,  it  is 
stated  "  that  the  queen's  ma- 
"  jesty,  being  right  sorry  to 
"  understand  that  the  order  of 
"  common  prayer  is  now  of  lute 


"  of  some  men  despised  and 
"  spoken  against,  both  by  open 
"  preachings  and  writings,  and 
"  of  some  bold  and  vain  cu- 
"  rious  men,  and  other  rites 
"  found  out  and  frequented  ; 
"  whereupon  contentions^  sects, 
"  and  disquietness  doth  arise 
"  among  her  ])eople,  and  for 
"  one  godly  and  uniform  order 
"  diversity  of  rites  and  ceremo- 
"  nies,  disputations  and  con- 
"  tentions,  schisms  and  divi- 
"  sions,  [are]  already  risen : 
"  the  cause  of  which  disorders 
"  her  majesty  doth  plainly  un- 
"  derstand  to  be  the  negligence 
"  of  the  bishops  and  other  ma- 
"  gistrates,  who  should  cause 
"  the  good  laws  and  acts  of 
"  parliament  made  in  this  be  ■ 
"  half  to  be  better  executed, 
"  and  not  so  dissembled  and 
"  winked  at."  ....  Upon  which 
the  queen  commands  them  to 
put  the  act  of  uniformity  &c. 
in  execution  "  with  all  dili- 
"  gence  and  severity,  neither 
"  favouring  nor  dissembling 
"  with  one  person  nor  other." 
....   They  are  also  to  inquire 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain. 


35 


should  come  to  pass  that  the  selfsame  persons  will  a. d.  1584. 

-  . ,,  .         .         ,  ,  ,26  Eliz. 

seem  to  wish  peace  and  iimtormity  in  the  church, ■ 

and  to  mislike  of  the  contentious  and  disobedient 
sort,  cannot  abide  that  any  thing-  should  be  done 
against  them,  wishing  rather  the  whole  ministry  of 
the  land  to  be  discountenanced  and  discouraged, 
than  a  few  wayward  persons  (of  no  account  in 
comparison)  suppressed  and  punished.  Men,  in 
executing  the  laws  according  to  their  duties,  were 
wont  to  be  encouraged  and  backed  by  such,  but 
now  it  falleth  out  clean  contrary.  Disobedient 
wilful  persons  (I  will  term  them  no  worse)  are 
animated,  laws  contemned,  her  majesty's  will  and 


and  have  such  punished  as 
neglect  coming  to  the  common 
prayer  &c.  "  with  more  care 
"  and  diligence  than  heretofore 
"  hath  been  done :  the  which 
"  negligence  hath  been  cause 
"  why  such  disorders  have  of 
"  late  now  so  much  and  in  so 
"  many  places  increased  and 
"  grown."  And  in  a  letter 
from  the  council,  where  the 
same  things  are  urged  in  even 
stronger  terms,  and  the  bishops 
are  straitly  ordered  "to  take 
"  a  more  vigilant  eye  to  this 
"  uniformity  ....  and  to  see 
"  that  in  no  one  church  .... 
"  there  be  any  difformity,  &c." 
Thev  then  proceed  to  say  that 
•'  nothing  is  required  but  that 
"  [the]  godly  and  seemly  orders 
"  allowed  by  the  queen's  ma- 
"  jesty  and  the  whole  realm  be 
"  kept.  The  which,  except  ye 
"  did  wink  at  and  dissemble, 
"  there  needed  not  these  new 
"  proclamations  and  straight 
•'  callings     upon."       Wilkins' 


Cone.  IV.  278-9.  Indeed  the 
very  same  complaint  which  is 
here  made  by  Wliitgift  was 
also  made  by  his  predecessor, 
archbishop  Parker,  (see  Strype's 
Parker,  213,  226;)  so  that  the 
remark  of  Strype  is  perfectly 
correct,  in  reference  to  that 
archbishop,  "  that  he  liked  not 
"  the  work,  especially  being 
"  accompanied  with  so  much 
"  severity,  but  it  was  out  of 
"  obedience  to  the  queen,  who 
"  was  continually  calling  upon 
"  him,  and  ordering  the  secre- 
"  tary  to  write  to  him  to 
"  quicken  him.  But  finding 
"  his  own  inability  to  do  her 
"  that  service  she  required  of 
"  liim,  he  very  often  and  ear- 
"  nestly  sent  to  the  secretary 
"  that  the  queen's  council  might 
"  stand  by  him  with  their  au- 
"  thoritv.  But  he  could  not 
"  obtain  his  desire  ;  thereupon 
"  he  made  a  stop  in  his  pro- 
"  ceedings."     Strype,  ib.  226.] 

p  2 


36  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1584. "  pleasure  little  regarded,  and  the  executors  thereof 

'—  "  in  word  and  deed  abused.     Howbeit  these  over- 

"  thwarts  grieve  me,  yet  I  thank  God  they  cannot 
"  withdraw  me  from  doing  that  duty  in  this  cause 
"  which  I  am  persuaded  God  Himself,  her  majesty, 
"  the  laws,  and  the  state  of  this  church  and  com- 
"  monwealth  do  require  of  me ;  in  respect  whereof  1 
"  am  content  to  sustain  all  these  displeasures,  and 
"  fully  resolved  not  to  depend  upon  man,  but  upon 
"  God  and  her  majesty ;  and  therefore  your  honour, 
"  in  offering  me  that  great  courtesy,  offered  unto  me 
*'  as  great  a  pleasure  as  I  can  desire.  Her  majesty 
"  nmst  be  my  refuge,  and  I  beseech  you  that  I  may 
"  use  you  as  a  means  when  occasion  shall  serve, 
"  whereof  I  assure  myself,  and  therein  rest. 

"  John  Cantuar."" 

As  for  the  lord  Burleigh,  such  was  his  moderation 
that  both  parties  beheld  him  as  their  friend,  carrying 
matters  not  with  passion  and  prejudice,  but  pru- 
dently, as  became  so  great  a  statesman.  He  was 
neither  so  rigid  as  to  have  conformity  pressed  to  the 
height,  nor  so  remiss  as  to  leave  ministers  to  their 
own  liberty ;  he  would  argue  the  case,  both  in  dis- 
course and  by  letters,  with  the  archbishop.  Amongst 
many  of  the  latter  kind,  let  not  the  reader  grudge  to 
peruse  this  here  inserted  ^ : 

The  trea-        "  It  may  please  your  grace,  I  am  sorry  to  trouble 

su  rcr's  letter 

to  the  arch- "  you  SO   often   as  I  do,  but  I  am  more  troubled 
some^ndui."  inyself,  uot  ouly  with  many  private  petitions  of 

ppnce  to  the 

ministers.  ....  ,      . 

''    [This  letter  is  not  in  lord      Museum,   No.  102  (L).     It  is 

Burleigh's  hand,  but  in  that  of  also  printed  in  Strype's  Whit- 
his  secretary,  now  among  the  gift.  Append,  p.  63.  S.  Copy 
Lansdowne  MSS.  in  the  British     in  the  State  Paper  Office.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  87 

"sundry  ministers    recommended    for'   persons    ofA.D.  1584. 

"  credit,  and  -  for  peaceable  persons  in  their  minis-    '— 

"  try,  and  yet  by  complaint  to  your  grace  and  other 
"  your  colleagues  in  commission  greatly  troubled ; 
"  but  also  I  am  daily  now  -^  charged  by  counsellors 
"  and  public  ]>ersons  to  neglect  my  duty,  in  not 
"  staying  of  those  your  grace's  proceedings,  so  vehe- 
"  ment  and  so  general  against  ministers  and  preach- 
"  ers,  as  the  papists  are  thereby  greatly  "*  encou- 
"  raged,  and  -''  all  evil-disposed  persons  amongst  the  ^ 
"  subjects  animated,  and  thereby  the  queen's  ma- 
"jesty's  safety  endangered.  With  these  kind  of 
"  arguments  I  am  daily  assailed  ;  against  which  I 
"  answer,  that  I  think  your  grace  doth  nothing  but, 
"  being  duly  examined,  tendeth  to  the  maintenance 
"  of  the  religion  established,  and  to  avoid  schisms 
"  in  the  church.  I  also  have,  for  example,  shewed 
"  by  ^  your  papers  sent  to  me  how  fully  the  church 
"  is  furnished  with  preachers,  and  how  small  a  num- 
"  ber  there  are  that  do  contend  for  their  singularity. 
"  But  these  reasons  do  not  satisfy  all  persons,  neither 
"  do  I  seek  to  satisfy  all  persons  ^  but  with  reason 
"  and  truth.  But  now,  my  good  lord,  by  chance  I 
"  have  come  to  the  sight  of  an  instrument  of  twenty- 
"  four  Articles  of  great  length  and  curiosity,  formed 
"  in  a  Romish  style,  to  examine  all  manner  of  minis- 
"  ters  in  this  time  without  distinction  of  persons, 
"  which  Articles  are  intituled  apud  Lambeth,  Maii 
"  1584,  to  be  executed  ea7  officio  mero,  &c.  And 
"  upon  this  occasion  I  have  seen  them  :  I  did  recom- 
"  mend    unto    your   grace's    favour    two    ministers. 


I  from  L.  S.         2  and  om .  L.  S.         3  now  daily  L.  S.  4  generally  L. 

S  and  om.  L.  S.  6  persons  amongst  the  om.  L.  S.  7  upon  L.  S. 

8  them  L.  S. 

D  3 


38  The  Church  History  rook  ix. 

A.D  15S4. "  curates  of  Cambridgeshire,  to  be  favourably  heard, 

26  Eliz.  -  1         (1     1 

"  and  your  grace  wrote  to  me  that'  they  were  con- 

"  tentious,  seditious,  and  persons  vagrant  ^^,  main- 
"  taining  ^^  this  controversy  ;  wherewith  I  charged 
"  them  sharply,  and  they  both  denied  those'- charges, 
"  and  required  to  be  tried,  and  so  to  receive  punisli- 
"  ment.  I  answered  that '-'  your  grace  would  so 
"  charge  them,  and  then  I  should  see  afterwards  ^^ 
"  what  they  should  deserve,  and  advised  them  to 
"  resort  to  your  grace,  comforting  them  that  they 
"  should  find  favourable  proceedings,  and  so  I  hope  '^ 
"  upon  my  former  commendations  the  rather  '^. 
"  What  may  be  said  to  them  I  know  not,  nor  whe- 
"  tlier  they  have  been  ^'  so  faulty  as  your  grace  hath 
"  been  informed  do  I  know ;  neither  do  I  mean  to 
"  treat  for  to  favour  '^  such  men,  for  pardon  I  may 
"  speak  upon  their  amendment.  But  now,  they 
"  coming  to  me,  I  offer '^  how  your  grace  ^"^  pro- 
"  ceeded  with  them  ;  they  say  they  are  commanded 
"  to  be  examined  by  the  register  at  London,  and 
"  T  asked  them  whereof.  They  said  of  a  great  '^^ 
"  number  of  Articles,  but  they  could  have  no  copies 
"  of  them.  I  answered  that^^  they  might  answer  ^^ 
"  to  the  2*  truth.  They  said  that  they  '^^  were  so 
"  many  in  number,  and  so  divers,  as  they  were  afraid 
"  to  answer-''  them,  for  fear  of  captious  interpreta- 
"  tion.  Upon  this  I  sent  for-'  the  register,  who 
"  brought  me  tlie  Articles,  which  I  have  read,  and 
"  find  so  curiously  j)enned,  so  full  of  branches  and 

()  that  0)*/.  li.      10  vaf>Taiit  persons  8.      11   to  maintain  l/.S.      12  these  8. 
13   I  thought  L.  S.  14  afterwards  see  L.  S  15  hoped  tlie  rather  L.  S. 

If)  the  rather  o«i.  L.  S.  17  l)e  L.  8.  18  entreat  your  loi-dship  favour  to  L. 
entreat  for  favour  for  such  S,  19  and  I  asking  of  them  L.     and  I  asking 

them  S.         20  hath   L.  S.  21   great  ow.  !>.  22   then  L.  8.         23  ac- 

cording L.  S.  24  the  om.  L.  S.  25  there  L.     tliey  S.  26  to  L. 

unto  S.         27  to  S. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  39 

"  circumstances,  that^^  I  think  the  inquisitions  ^^  ofA.  D.1584. 

"  Spain  use  not  so  many  questions  to  comprehend ' 

"  and  to  entrap  '^^  their  '^^  preys.  I  know  your  ca- 
"  nonists  can  defend  these  with  all  their  particles, 
"  but  surely  under  your  grace's  correction  this  judi- 
"  cial  and  canonical  siftner  ^^  of  poor  ministers  is 
"  not  to  edify  and  '^'^  reform ;  and  in  charity  I  think 
"  they  ought  not  to  answer  to  all  these  nice  points, 
"  except  they  were  very  notorious  offenders  in  pa- 
"  pistry  or  heresy.  Now,  good  my  '^  lord,  bear  with 
"  my  scribbling :  I  write  with  ^^  testimony  of  a  good 
"  conscience  ;  I  desire  the  peace  of  the  church,  I 
"  desire  concord  '^^,  and  unity  in  the  exercise  of 
"  our  ^''  religion ;  I  fear  ^  no  sensual  and  -^^  wilful 
*'  recusant ;  but  I  conclude  that,  according  to  my 
"  simple  judgment,  this  kind  of  proceeding  is  too 
"  much  favouring  ^^  the  Romish  inquisition,  and  is 
"  rather  a  device  to  seek  for  offenders  than  to  reform 
"  any.  This  was  ^^  not  that  charitable  instruction 
"  that  I  thought. was  intended  of '^^  these  poor  minis- 
"  ters  should  in  some  few  points  have  any  scrupu- 
"  lous  conceptions'^-^  to  be  removed,  this  is  not  a 
"  charitable  way,  to  send  them  to  answer  to  your 
"  common  register,  ujjon  so  many  Articles  at  one 
"  instant,  without  '*'*  commodity  of  instruction  by  your 
"  register,  whose  office  is  only  to  receive  their  an- 
"  swers,  by  which  the  parties  are  first  '^^  subject  to 
"  condemnation  before  they  be  taught  their  errors : 
"  it  may  be,  I  say,  that  ^^  canonists  may  maintain  this 
"  proceeding   by   rules    of   their    laws,   but    though 


28  as  L.  S.         29  inquisitors  L.  S.        30  trap  L.        31   and  trap  their  S. 
32  sifting  L.  S.         33  or  L.  S.  34  my  good  L.  35  a  L.  S.         36  I 

desire  concord  om.  S.  37  our  o/«.  S.  38  favour  L.  S.  39  or  S. 

40  of  L.  S.         41   is  L.  S.  42  ifL.  S.  43  meet  L.  S.         44  any  L. 

45  made  S.         46  be,  as  I  said,  the  L.  S. 

D  4 


40  The  Church  Histrny  book  ix. 

AD.  1584."  omnia  licent,^'^  o?nnia  non  ex'pediunt.     I  pray  your 

— ^ 1-"  grace  bear  this,  (and  perchance  a  fault  ^^)  that  I 

"  have  willed  them  not  to  answer  these  Articles, 
"  except  their  consciences  may  suffer  them  ;  and  yet 
"  I  have  sharply  admonished  them,  that  if  they  be 
"  disturbers  in  their  churches  they  must  be  corrected; 
"  and  yet,  upon  your  grace's  answer  to  me  ^^,  yie  sutor 
"  2dtra  crepidam,  neither  will  I  put  falcem  in  alte- 
"  rius^^  messem.  My  paper  teacheth  me  to  make 
"  an  ^*  end.  Your  grace  must  pardon  my  hasty 
"  writing,  for  that  ''-  I  have  done  this  raptim  and 
"  without  correction.  ^'^ 

"  Your  Grace's,  at  command, 

[1  July,  1584.]  "  William  Burghley." 

One  may  say,  is  not  the  hand  of  Mr.  Travers  in 
all  this?  who,  being  the  lord  Burghley's  chaplain, 
by  him  much  respected,  and  highly  affected  to  the 
Geneva  discipline,  was  made  the  mouth  of  the 
ministers,  to  mediate  to  his  lord  in  their  behalf. 
But  it  seems  the  archbishop  had  set  up  his  reso- 
lution, (called  constancy  by  some,  cruelty  by  others, 
as  they  stand  affected,)  whose  unmovableness  herein 
will  appear  by  his  following  letter : 

*'  To  the  Lord  Treasurer  e, 

"  My  singular  good  Lord, 
The  retiin.       >'  \^  ^}jg   ygj.y  beginning  of  this    action,  and  so 
iiishop  of     "  from   time   to   time,   I  have    made  your  lordship 

Canterlmry 
to  the  lord 

treasurer's        47  yet  L.        48  one  (perchance  a)  fault  L.  S.       49  I   will  leave  them  to 
letter.  your  authority,  as  becometh  me  L.  S.  50  alienum  S.  5 1    make  an 

om.  L.  S.         52  that  om.  L.         53    i  .lulii,  1584. 

«  [Lansd.  MS.  No.  42,  orig.   See  Strype's  Whitgift,  App.  p.  64.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britam,  41 

"  acquainted  with  all  my  doings,  and  so  answered  all  a.d.  1584. 

.  ,  -  T  26  Eliz. 

'*  objections  and  reasons  to  the  contrary,  as  1  per 

"  suade  myself^  no  just  reply  can  be  made  there- 
"  unto.  I  have  likewise,  by  your  lordship's  advice, 
"  chosen  this  kind  of  proceeding  with  them,  because 
"  I  would  not  touch  any  for  not  subscribing  only, 
"  but  for  breach  of  order  in  celebrating  of  ^  divine 
"  service,  administering  the  sacraments,  and  execut- 
"  ing  other  ecclesiastical  functions,  according  to  their 
"  fancies,  and  not  according  to  the  form  of  ^^  law 
"  prescribed,  which  neither  your  lordship  nor  any 
''  other  ^  seemed  to  mislike,  but  to  wish  and  require ; 
"  and  therefore  I  am  much  troubled  at  your  last 
"  letters,  which  seem  so  to  be  written  as  though 
"  your  lordship  had  not  been  in  these  points  already 
'•  answered  ^.  The  complaints  which  your  lordship 
"  saith  are  made  of  me,  and  ^  other  my  colleagues, 
"  have  hitherto  been''  general,  and  therefore  cannot 
"  otherwise  be  answered  but  ^  by  a  bare  denial ;  but 
"  if  any  man  shall  charge  me  or  them  with  parti- 
"  cularities,  I  doubt  not  but  we  are  and  shall  be 
"  ready  to  answer  them,  and  to  justify  our  doings. 
"  My  proceedings  are  neither  so  vehement  nor  so 
"  general  against  ministers  and  preachers  as  some 
"  pretend,  doing  me  therein  great  injury ;  ^  I  have 
"  divers  ^^  times  satisfied  your  lordship  therein.  If 
"  any  offence  be,  ^^  it  is  in  bearing  too  much  with 
"  them,  and  ^^  using  of  them  so  friendly  ^'\  which 
"  causeth  them  thus,  contrary  to  their  duty,  to  trou- 
"  ble  the  church,  and  to  withstand  me  their  ordi- 


I  that  L.  2  of  om.  L.  3  by  L.  4  others  L.  5  and  satis- 
fied Ij.  6  of  L.  7  been  hitherto  L.  8  than  L.  9  and  L. 
10  sundry  h.  11  If  I  have  any  way  offended  I>.  12  in  L.  13  too 
famiharly  I-*. 


42  The  Church  History  hook  ix. 

A.D.  1584. "  nary  and  lawful  judge.     The  objection  of  encou- 

"  raging  the  papists  &c.  hath  neither  probability  nor 

"  likelihood ;  for  how  can  papists  be  animated  by 
"  urging  of  men  to  subscribe  against  the  pope's 
"  supremacy  ?  and  ^^  to  the  justifying  of  the  Book  of 
"  Common  Prayers,  and  ^"^  Articles  of  Religion,  '^ 
"  which  they  so  greatly  condemn  ?  But  ^'  papists 
"  &c.  are  animated  because  they  see  these  kind  of 
"  persons  (which  herein  after  a  sort  come  in  ^^  with 
"  them)  so  greatly  ^^  so  many  borne  with,  and  so 
'*  animated  and  maintained  ^°  in  their  disordered 
"  doings,  against  both  God's  laws  and  man's  ^i,  and 
"  against  their  chief  governors,  both  ^^  civil  and 
''  ecclesiastical.  This,  I  say,  encourageth  the  papists, 
"  and  maketh  much  for  them  ^ ;  the  other  is  but  a 
"  fallacy^,  a  non  causa  ad  causam.  O  my  lord, 
"  I  25  ^yould  to  God  some  of  those  ^^  who  use  this 
"  argument  had  no  papists  in  their  families,  and 
"  did  not  otherwise  also  countenance  them  ;  whereby 
"  indeed  they  receive  encouragement,  [and  do  be- 
"  come  too  malapert.  -']  Assure  yourself  ^s  the 
"  papists  are  rather  grieved  at  my  proceedings  ^^, 
"  because  they  tend  to  the  taking  away  of  their 
"  chief  argument  ;  that  is,  that  we  cannot  agree 
"  among  ourselves,  and  that  we  are  not  of  the 
"  church,  because  we  lack  unity  ^*^.  And  I  am  cre- 
"  dibly  informed  that  the  papists  give  encourage- 
"  ment  to  these  men,  and  commend  them  in  their 
"  doings,  whereof  I  have  also  some  experience.     But 


i4orL.  i5<)t'tlieL.  16  both  L.  1 7  indeed  L.  18  join  L.  19  friend- 
ed L.  20  and  maintained  om.  L.  2r  law  L.  22  both  om.  L.  23  them  so 
malapert  \i.  air.  24  fallax  L.  25  I  om.  L.  26  them  L.  27  [  ]  crossed 
out  in  L.  28  that  L.  29  doings  L.  30  lack  unity,  and  therefore 

are  not  of  the  church  \i. 


CENT.  XVI.  ()f  Br  Hah  I.  43 

••'  if  these  reasons  and  sundry  others,  notwithstand- a.d.  1584. 

"  ing  some  will  not  be  satisfied  thereby '^^  I  am  sure     

"  your  lordship  thinketh  it  not  ■^'•^  convenient  to  yield 
"  unto  '^'•''  their  wills,  but  unto  their  reasons  '^.  Touch- 
"  ing  the  twenty-four  Articles,  which  your  lordship 
*'  seemeth  so  ■^•''  to  mislike,  as  written  in  a  Romish 
"  style,  smelling  of  a'^^  Romish  inquisition,  I  cannot 
"  but  greatly  marvel  at  your  lordship's  vehement 
"  speeches  against  them,  I  hope  without  cause. 
"  ^"^  [The  men  are  preachers,  peaceable,  your  lordship 
"  saith,  and  that  they  are  orderly,  and  observe  the 
"  books,  as  some  of  them  say  of  themselves  ;  and 
"  you  think  it  not  meet  that,  being  such  persons, 
"  they  should  be  deprived  for  not  subscribing  only, 
"  wdierein  I  have  yielded  unto  you,  ^^  and  therefore 
"  have  caused  these  Articles  to  be  drawn  accordinof 
"  to  law,  by  the  best  learned  in  the  laws,  who  I 
"  dare  say  hate  the  Romish  doctrine  and  the  Romish 
"  inquisition,  to  the  intent  I  may  truly  understand 
"  whether  they  are  such  manner  of  men  or  no  as 
"  they  pretend  to  be,  which  T  also  take  to  be]  -^^ 
"  the  ordinary  course  in  other  courts  ^^ ;  as  in  the 
*'  Star-chamber,  ^^  and  other  places.  [Sure  I  am  it 
"  is  most  usual  in  the  Court  of  the  Marches, 
"  (Arches  rather,)  whereof  I  have  the  best  expe- 
"  rience.]  x4nd  without  offence  be  it  spoken,  I 
"  think  these  Articles  ^'^  more  tolerable,  and  better 
"  agreeing  with  the  rule  of  justice  and  charity,  and 

31    will  not  siitisfy  some  L.  32  will  not  think  it  L.  33  unto  om.  L. 

34  without  reason  L.  35  much  L.  36  the  Ij.  37  Verba  inter  [     ] 

posifd  mil.  Li.  38  I  do  minister  thest;  articles  unto  them,  framed  hy  the 
best  learned  in  the  laws,  j^wli.)  I  dare  say  hate  Ixith  tl  e  lioniish  doctrine  and 
Romish  inquisition, !  to  the  intent  that  1  may  truly  understand  whether  they 
are  such  manner  of  men  or  no  as  they  pretend  to  he,  esf)ecially  seeing-  by 
public  fame  they  are  noted  of  the  contrary,  and  one  of  them  presented  L. 
^59  tliat  is  L.  40  likewise  L.  41  the  court  of  the  Ularches  L.  42  to 
he  L. 


44  The  Church  Hiatory  book  ix. 

AD.  1584. "  less  captious  than  those  in  other  courts,  because 
-1-— ■  "  there  men  are  '^^  often  ^^  examined  at  the  relation 
"  of  a  private  man,  concerning  private  crimes,  et  de 
"  'propria  turpitudine ;  whereas  here  men  are  only 
"  examined  of  their  public  actions  in  the  ^^  public 
"  calling  and  ministry,  ^^  and  much  more  ^''  in  the 
"  case  of  heresy ;  because  the  one  toucheth  life, 
"  and  ^^  the  other  not.  And  therefore  I  see  no 
"  cause  why  our  judicial  and  canonical  proceedings 
"  in  this  point  should  be  misliked.  Your  lordship 
"  writeth,  that  the  two  for  whom  you  write  ^^  are 
"  jieaceable  persons,  ^^  that  they  ^^  deny  the  things 
"  wherewith  they  are  charged,  and  desire  to  be  tried. 
"  Now  they  are  to  be  tried,  why  do  they  refuse  it? 
"  Qui  male  ac/it,  odit  lucem.  [Indeed  they  shew 
"  themselves  to  be  such  as  I  have  before  shewed  to 
"  your  lordship,  the  most  troublesome  persons  in  all 
"  that  country  ;  and  one  of  them,  Mr.  Brown,  is 
"  presented]  for  his  disorders  ^^  by  the  sworn  men 
"  of  the  ^'^  parish  ^^  as  I  am  informed  by  the  official 
"  there.  Wherefore  ^^  I  beseech  your  lordship  not 
"  to  believe  them  against  me,  either''''  own  words, 
"  or  ^"  testimony  of  any  ^^  such  as  animate  them 
"  in  their  disobedience,  and  count  disorder  order, 
"  and  contention  peace,  before  they  be  duly  and 
"  orderly  tried  according  to  that  law  which  is  yet  in 
"  force,  and  in  my  opinion  will  hardly  in  these  judi- 
"  cial  actions  be  bettered,  though  some  abuse  may 


43  men  are  there  L.         44  times  L.  45  their  L.         46  whereunto  in 

conscience  they  are  bonnd  to  answer  L.  47  then  L.            48  and  om.  L. 

49  speak  L.             50  observe  the  book  L.  51   persons,  that  they  mn.  L. 

52  for  his  disorders  om.  L.         53  his  L.  54  for  his  disorders  L.          55   I 

have  written  notliing  to  yonr  lordsliip  of  them  wliich  their  own  behavionr 

doth  not  prove  to  be  true.     Therefore  L.  56  npon  their  L.         57  upon 
the  L.         58  any  om.  L. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  45 

"be   in   the    execution    thereof,  as  there ■'^'^,  I  else-A. d.  1584. 

"  where  also^*^,  and  that  peradventnre  more  abund-— ^ 

"  antly.      Your   lordship  saith  ''^  these  Articles  are 

"  a  device  ^^  rather  to    seek   for  offenders   than  to 

"  reform  any :    the    like    may  be    said   of  the  like 

"  orders  in  other  courts  also ;   but  that  were  ^^  the 

"  fault  of  the  judge,  not  of  the  law.     And  I  trust 

"  your  lordship   hath  no  cause  to  think  so  evil  of 

"  me  :   I  have  not  dealt  as  yet  with  any  but  such 

"  as  have^  given  evident^  tokens  of  contempt  of 

"  orders  and  laws,  which  ^^  my  acts  remaining  on  ^^ 

*'  record  will   testify  ^^ ;    and   though  ^^  the    register 

"  do  "^  examine  them,   (as   I  think  ^^   other  officers 

"  do    in    other  courts   likewise,   and   the   law   doth 

"  allow  of  it,)  yet  are  they  repeated  before  a  judge, 

"  where  they  may  reform,  add,  or  diminish,  as  they 

"  think   good  ;  neither  hath  there  ^^  any  man  thus 

"  been  examined,   or   otherwise    dealt   with,  '-^  who 

"  hath  not  '^  been  conferred  with,  or  might  not  have 

"  been  if  he  would,  '^^  these  two  especially  '^ ;    and 

*'  if  they  have ''''  otherwise  reported  '^  to  your  lord- 

"  ship,  they  do  but  ^^  antiqmmi  obtinere  ^,  which  is 

"  to  utter  untruths  ^^  a  quality  wherewith  these  kind 

"  of  men  are  ^^  marvellously  possessed,  as  I  on  ^^  my 

"  own  knowledge  and  experience  can  justify  against 

"  divers  of  them.     I  know  your  lordship  desireth 

"  the  peace  of  the  church   and  unity  in  rehgion^*, 

"  but  how  is  it  possible  to  be  procured,  after  so  long 


59  is  in  other  courts  likewise  \j.  6o  I  elsewhere  also  om.  L.  6i  that  L. 
62  devised  L.  63  should  be  L.  64  refused  to  subscribe,  and  L.  65  ma- 
nifest L.  66  which  om.  L.  67  in  L.  68  with  me  L.  69  although  L. 
70  doth  L.  71  I  think  om.  L.  72  there  om.  lu  73  or  otherwise  dealt 
with  om.  L.  74  before  L.  75  or  might  not  have  been  if  he  would  om.  L. 
76  even  until  they  had  nothing  to  say  L.  77  have  om.  L.  78  report  L. 
79  they  do  but  om.  L.         80  obtinent  L.  81   and  they  report  untruly  L. 

82  this  sort  is  L.         H3  myself  of  L.         84  and  tmity  in  religion  om.  L. 


46  TIh'  Church  H'lstor)/  hook  ix. 

A.  D.I 584. "  liberty  and  ^■^  lack  of  discipline,  if  a  few  persons 

!_  "  so  meanly  qualified  as  most  of  them  are  shall  be 

"  countenanced  against  the  M'hole  state  of  the  clergy, 
*'  of  greatest  account  both  ^^  for  learning,  years, 
"  stayedness  ^',  wisdom,  religion,  and  honesty  ?  and 
"  open  breakers  and  impugners  of  the  laws,  young 
"  in  years,  proud  in  conceit,  contentious  in  dispo- 
"  sition,  maintained  against  their  ^*^  governors,  seek- 
"  ing  to  reduce  them  to  order  and  ^^  obedience  ? 
"  HcBC  sunt  initia  hcereticorum,  et  ortus  atque  cona- 
"  tus  schismaticorum  male  cofjitantium,  ut  sibi  fla- 
"  ceant,  ut  jwiBpositum  superho  tumove  contemnant ; 
"  sic  ah  ^^  ecclesia  receditur,  sic  altare  profanum  col- 
"  locatw  foris  ^^,  sic  contra  imcein  Christi  et  ordina- 
"  tionem  atque  unitatem  Dei  rehellatur^.  For  my 
"  own  part,  I  neither  have  done  nor  do  -^^  any  thing 
"  in  this  matter  which  I  do  not  think  ^'^  in  my  ■'* 
"  conscience  and  duty  I  am  ^^  bound  to  do,  which 
"  her  majesty  hath  ^^  with  earnest  charge  committed 
"  unto  me,  and  ^'  which  I  am  not  ^^  well  able  to 
"  justify  to  be  most  requisite  for  this  state  and 
"  church,  whereof  next  to  her  majesty,  though  most 
*'  unworthy,  or  at^^*^  least  most  unhappy,  the  chief  ^*^^ 
"  is  committed  unto  me,  which  I  will  ^^  not,  by  the 
"  grace  of  God  ^^'^,  neglect,  whatsoever  come  upon 
"  me.  Therefore  I  neither  care  for  ^^^  the  honour  of 
"  the  place,  (which  is  07ius  to  me^^^)  nor  the  large- 
"  ness    of   the    revenues  ^^^  nor  any  other  worldly 

85  the  L.  86  both  am.  L.  87  steadiness  L.  88  superiors  and  L. 
89  to  L.  90  dc  L.  91  forls  collncatiir  L.  92  neitlier  do  nor  have 
done  L.  93  myself  L.  94  my  om.  L.  95  I  am  om.  L.  96  not  L. 
97  the  L.  98  in  L.  correctum.  lOo  the  L.  loi  care  L.  102  may  L. 
lo.i  by  the  grace  of  (iod  om.  L.  104  esteem  L.  105  to  me  ginv'tss. 

onus  L.  106  for  the  which  I  am  not  as  yet  one  penny  the  richer  L. 

g   [Cypri.  li.  Epist.  3.     L.  in  m.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of' Britain.  47 

"tiling.     I   thank  God,   in  ^^"  respect  of   doing-  my  a.  i).  1584. 

"  duty,  neither  do  I  fear  the  disjileasure  of  man  nor ^ 

"  the  evil  ^^^  tongues  of  the  uncharitable,  who  call 
"  me  tyrant,  jiope  ^^'',  knave,  and  lay  to  my  charge 
"  things  which  I  never  ^^^  thought  ^^^.  Scin  hoc 
"  enim  ^^^  esse  ojms  diaboli,  ut  servos  Dei  mendacio 
"  laceret,  et  opiniomhus  falsis  gloriosum  nomen  in- 
'■'■  famet,  ut  qui  conscientice  sucb  luce  clarescunt^  alienis 
"  rumoribus  sordidevUur ''.  So  was  Cyprian  himself 
"  used  ^^'^,  and  other  ancient  and  ^^^  godly  bishops, 
"  to  whom  I  am  not  comparable.  The  day  will 
"  come  when  all  men's  hearts  shall  be  opened  '^^  ; 
"  in  the  mean  time  I  will  depend  on  ^^^  Him  ^^'"  who 
"  never  forsakes  ^^^  those  that  put  their  ^^^  trust  in 
"  Him.  If  your  lordship  shall  ^^o  keep  those  two 
"  from  answering  according  to  the  order  set  down, 
"  it  will  be  of  itself  a  setting  at  liberty  of  all  the 
"  rest,  and  of  ^'-^  undoing  of  all  that  which  hitherto 
"  hath  been  done  ;  neither  shall  I  be  able  to  do  my 
"  duty  according  to  her  majesty's  expectation  ^^- ; 
"  and  therefore  I  beseech  your  lordship  to  leave 
"  them  unto  me.  I  Mill  not  proceed  ^^^  against 
"  them  till  ^^^  I  have  made  you  ^^"^  pnvy  to  their 
"  answers,  and  further  conferred  with  you  about 
*'  them  ^-^,  because  I  see  your  lordshii?  so  earnest  in 
"  their  behalf ;  whereof  they  have  also  made  public 


107  the  L.  108  regard  the  wicked  L.  109  papist  L.  110  did  nor 
III  upon  li.  112  cnitn  om.lj.  113  for  the  same  causes  L.  114  ancient 
and  om.  L.         1  15   and  made  manifest  L.  116  upon  L.         117  who  hath 

called  me  to  this  place  L.  118  and  will  not  forsake  L.  119  put  their 

om.\j.  120  do  L.  121   of  o»i.  L.  122  that  which  her  majesty 

expecteth  at  my  hands,  and  is  now  in  very  good  towardness  L.        123  to  any 
sentence  L.  124  until  L.  125  your  lordship  L.  126  thereof  L. 


h   [Cypri.  Epist.  11.  4.     L.  in  m.] 


48  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.p.  1584.  «t  jjQasts,   as   I  am    infomied,   which    ar^ueth    what 

26  Eliz.  '-^ 

"  manner  of  persons  ^"^"^  they  are.     I  beseech  ^^s  your 

*'  lordship  to  take  not  only  the  length,  but  also  the 
"  matter  of  this  letter  in  good  part,  and  to  continue 
"  to  ^^^  me  as  you  have  ^-^^  done,  whereof  I  doubt 
"  not  ^-^^ ;  for  assuredly  if  you  ^•''^  forsake  me,  which 
"  I  know  you  will  not  after  so  long  trial  and  expe- 
"  rience,  with  continuance  of  so  great  friendship  ^■'^, 
"  especially  ^'^^  in  so  good  a  cause  ^'•'^,  I  shall  think 
"  my  coming  to  this  place  to  have  been  for  my 
"  punishment,  and  ^•^''  my  hap  ^^"^  very  hard,  that 
*'  when  I  think  ^■^^  to  deserve  best,  [and  in  a  manner 
"  to  consume  myself,  to  satisfy  that  which  God,  her 
"  majesty,  the  church,  requireth  of  me,]  should  be 
"  so  evil  ^'^'-^  rewarded.  Sed  spero  meliora.  And  I 
"  know  your  lordship  doth  all,  as  you  are  persuaded, 
"  for  the  best.     I   beseech   God  long  to  bless  and 


preserve  you  ^^. 


"  John  Cantuar."  ^"i 


It  seems  the  lord  treasurer  took  exceptions  at 
some  passages  herein ;  I  dare  not  say  with  those 
that  the  letter  was  brought  to  him  when  he  was 
indisposed  with  the  fit  of  the  gout,  which  made  him 
so  offended.  But  whatsoever  was  the  cause  of  his 
passion,  see  some  signs  thereof  in  what  folio weth  ^ : 

127  of  what  disposition  L.  128  heartily  pray  L.  129  unto  L. 

130  hitherto  L.  13 1  whereof  1  douht  not  om.  L.  132  now  L. 

T33  which  I  know  you  will  not  after  so  long  trial  and  experience,  with  con- 
tinuance of  so  great  friendship  om.  L.  134  and  tliat  I>.  135  as  I  know 
you  will  not  L.  136  my  coming  to  this  place  to  have  heen  for  my  punish- 

ment, and  om.  L.  137  to  be  L.  138  hope  L.  139  I  should  be  worst  L. 
140  and  commit  myself  to  the  Author  of  peace,  whom  I  beseech  to  bless  and 
])rosper  your  lordship.  From  Croydon,  the  3rd  of  Jnly,  1584.  L.  141  To 
your  lordship's  most  bound  L. 

'   [See  Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  160.] 


(^ENT.  XVI.  of  liritain.  49 

"  I  have  received  your  grace's  long  letter,  answer- a. i).  1584. 

"  ing  sundry  speeches,  as  I  think,  delivered  by  your L 

"  chaplain,    Dr.   Cosins  ;    and   I   perceive    you    are  j^g^^^J,"'^*J:,^ 
"  sharply  moved  to  blame  me  and  clear  yourself.     I  ^'"^'"'^  '«"^'' 

'    •'  "^  to  the  arcn- 

"  know  I  have  many  faults,  but  T  hope  I  have  notbishop. 
"  given  such  cause  of  offence  as  your  letter  ex- 
"  presseth.  I  deny  nothing  that  your  grace  thinketh 
"  meet  to  proceed  in  with  these  whom  you  call 
"  factious ;  and  therefore  there  is  no  controversy 
"  between  you  and  me,  expressed  in  your  letter. 
"  The  controversy  is  passed,  in  your  grace's  letter, 
*'  in  silence ;  and  so  I  do  satisfy.  Your  grace  pro- 
*'  mised  me  to  deal,  I  say,  only  with  such  as  violated 
*'  order,  and  to  charge  them  therewith,  which  I  allow 
"  well  of;  but  your  grace,  not  charging  them  with 
"  such  faults,  seeketh  by  examination  to  urge  them 
"  to  accuse  themselves ;  and  then  I  think  you  will 
'*  punish  them.  I  think  your  grace's  proceeding  is, 
"  I  will  not  say  rigorous  or  captious,  but  I  think  it 
"  is  scant  charitable.  I  have  no  leisure  to  write 
*'  more,  and  therefore  I  will  end ;  for  writing  will 
*'  but  increase  offence,  and  I  mean  not  to  offend 
'*  your  grace,  I  am  content  that  your  grace  and 
'*  my  lord  of  London  (where  I  hear  Brayne  J  is)  use 
"  him  as  your  wisdoms  shall  think  meet.  If  T  had 
"  known  his  fault,  I  might  be  blamed  for  writing 
"  for  him  ;  but  when  by  examination  only  it  is  meant 
"  to  sift  him  with  twenty-four  Articles,  I  have  cause 
"  to  pity  the  poor  man. 

"  Your  Grace's,  as  friendly  as  any, 

"  William  Burleigh." 


J  [See  Edward  Brayne's  let-     6th   July,  1584,  in   the   Lnns- 
ter  to  secretary  Burleigh,  dated     downe  MSS.  102,  art.  112] 

FULLEK,   vol..  V.  E 


50  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.I).  1584.      Short,  but  sharp.     I  see,  though  an^er  only  resteth 

in  the  bosom  of  fools  ^,  it  may  light  on  the  breast  of 

a  wise  man.  But  no  fear  that  these  friends  will 
finally  fall  out,  Avho  alternately  were  passionate  and 
patient ;  so  that  now  it  came  to  the  turn  of  Whitgift 
to  be  calm,  as  he  expressed  himself  in  the  following 
return  ' : 

"  To  the  Lord  Treasurer. 

"  My  singular  good  Lord, 
The  arch-        "  Qod  knoweth  liow  dcsirous  I  have  been,  from 

bishop's  1  .       .  11      1  • 

calm  letter  "  time  to  time,  to  satisfy  your  lordship  m  all  things, 

to  the  half-  ,,  -,     .        ^  '    •  i     ,      1  /» 

angiy  trea-  and  to  liavo  my  doings  approved  to '  you ;  tor 
surer.  ^  which  cause,  since  my  coming  to  this  place,  I  have 
"  done  2  nothing  of  importance  M'ithout  your  advice. 
"  I  have  risen  early  and  sat  up  late,  to  write  unto 
"  you  such  objections  and  answers  as  were  -^  used  on 
"  either  side  ;  I  have  not  ^  the  like  to  any  man  :  and 
"  shall  I  now  say^  I  have  lost  my  labour?  or  shall 
"  my  just  dealing  with  two  of  the  most  disordered 
"  ministers  in  a  whole  diocese  (the  obstinacy  and 
*'  contempt  of  whom,  especially  of  one  of  them, 
"  you  ^  yourself  would  not  bear  in  any  subjected 
"  to  your  authority)  cause  you  so  to  think  and  speak 
"  of  my  doings,  yea",  and  of  myself?  No  man 
"  living  should  have  made  me  believe  it.  Solomon 
"  saith  ^,  an  old  friend  is  better  than  a  new ;  and  I 
"  trust  your  lordship  will  not  so  lightly  cast  off  your 
"  old  friends  for  any  of  these  newfangled  and  fac- 
"  tious    sectaries,   whose  fruits  are  ^   to   make  divi- 

I   by  L.         2  did  L.         3  are  L.         4  done  L.         5  that  L.         6  you 
om.  L.  7  yea  om.  L.  8  my  lord  L.         9  endeavour  is  L. 

^  Eccles.  vii.  9.         1   [See  Stiype's  Whitgift,  App.  p.  67.] 


<;ent.  XV].  of  Britu'ni.  51 

"  sion  wheresoever   they  come,  and    to  ^"    separate  a.  d.  1584. 

•'  ^26  Eliz. 

"  old  and  assured  friends.     Your  lordship  seemeth 

"  to  charge  me  with  breach  of  ])romise,  touching-  my 
"  manner  of  proceeding,  whereof  I  am  no  way  guilty ; 
"  but  I  have  altered  my  first  course  of  depriving  ^^^ 
"  them  for  not  subscribing  only,  justifiable  by  the^^ 
"  law,  and  ^^  common  practice  both  ^^  in  the  time 
"  of  king  Edward  and  from  the  beginning  of  her 
"  majesty's  reign  ^^  and  chosen  this,  only  to  satisfy 
"  your  lordship.  Your  lordshij)  also  objecteth^*',  that 
"  it  is  said  I  took  this  course  for  the  better  main- 
"  tenance  of  my  book  ^' :  my  enemies  say  so  indeed, 
"  but  I  trust  ^^  my  friends  have  a  better  opinion  of 
"  me.  What  *^  should  I  seek  for  any  ^o  confirmation 
"  of  my  book,  after  twelve  -^  years,  or  what  should 
"  I  get  thereby  more  than  already  22?  And  yet,  if 
"  subscription  may  confirm  it,  it  is  confirmed  long 
"  ago  by  the  subscription  '^■^  of  all  the  clergy  al- 
"  most  '^^  of  in  '^  England,  before  my  time,  even  of 
"  Brain  also,  who  now  seemeth  to  be  so  wilful-^. 
"  JNIine  enemies  and  2''  tongues  of  this  slanderous 
"  and  ^^  uncharitable  sect  report  -^  that  I  am  revolted 
"  and  ^  become  a  papist,  and  I  know  not  what ; 
"  but  it  proceedeth  from  their  lewdness,  not  from 
"  any  desert  of  mine  ^^ ;  and  I  disdain  to  answer  to 
"  any  ^^  such  notorious  untruths,  which  not  the 
"  best  of  them  dare  avouch  to  my  face.  Your  lord- 
"  ship  further  seemeth  to  burden  me  with  wilful- 


10  to  om.  L.  II  dealing  wth  L.  12  the  om.  It.  it,  in  L. 

14  both  om.  L.        15  to  this  day  L.  16  you  also  object  L.  17  against 

Cartwright  L.        18  hope  L.        19  Why  L.       20  such  L.         21  so  many  L. 
22  I  have  L.  23  almost  L.  24  almost  om.  L.         25  of  L.         26  and 

of  many  of  these  who  now  refuse,  even  of  Brain  himself  L.         27  the  evil  L. 
28  slanderous  and  om.  L.  29  also  L.  30  and  om.  L.  31  that  un- 

godly zeal  which  cometh  not  e.v  amore  sed  ex  livore,  wherewith  they  are  pos- 
sessed L.         32  any  om.  L. 

E  2 


52  The  Church  Histwy  book  ix. 

A. D.I 584. "  ness :  I  am  sure  that-^^  you  arc  not  so  persuaded 

^  "  of  me ;  I  will  ^  appeal  ^  to  your  own  conscience. 

"  There  is  -^^  difference  betwixt  wilftilness  and  con- 
"  stancy.  I  have  taken  upon  me  the  defence  of 
"  the  religion  and  rights  ■^'  of  the  '^  church  of 
"  England  "^^  ^^  to  appease  ^^  the  sects  of  ^^  schisms 
"  therein,  and  to  reduce  all  ^'^  the  ministers  thereof 
"  to  uniformity  and  due  obedience.  Herein  I  in- 
"  tend  to  be  constant,  and  not  to  waver  with  every 
"  wind  ;  the  ^^  which  also  my  place,  my  person,  my 
"  duty,  the  laws,  her  majesty,  and  the  goodness  of 
"  the  cause  doth  require  ^^  of  me  ;  and  wherein  your 
"  lordship  and  others  (all  things  considered)  ought 
"  in  duty  to  assist  and  countenance  ^^  me.  It  is  ^^ 
"  strange  that  a  man  in  my  place,  dealing  by  so  good 
"  warranties  as  I  do,  should  be  so  encountered  ^^,  and 
"  for  not  yielding  to  '^^  be  counted  wilful.  But  I 
"  must  be  contented  ^^  vincit  qui  patitur ;  and  if 
"  my  friends  forsake  me  herein  ^^,  I  trust  God  will 
"  not,  neither  the  law  ^-,  nor  her  majesty  who 
"  hath  -'-^  laid  the  charge  on  me,  and  are  able  to 
"  protect  me  '''*.  But  of  all  other  things  it  most 
"  grieveth  me,  if-"*^  your  lordship  should  say  that-'"'' 
"  two  ministers  should  fare  the  worse  because  your 
"  lordship  hath'''  sent  them.  Hath-''^  your  lordship 
"  ever  had  '^^  any  cause  so  to  think  of  me  ?  It  is 
"  needless  for  me  to  protest  my  ''*^  heart  and  affection 
"  towards    you    above    all    other   men  :    the    world 

33  think  L.       34  will  om.  L.        35  therein  L.        36  a  L.        37  rites  L. 
38  this  L.  39  of  England  om.  h.  40  the  execution  of  the  laws  con- 

cerning the  same  L.  41   the  appeasing  of  L.  42  and  L.  43  the 

reducing  of  L.  44  and  not  to  waver  with  every  wind  ;  the  om.  L.  45  re- 
quireth  L.  46  ,  as  I  take  it,  to  assist  and  help  L.  47  more  than  L. 

48  hardly  used  L.  49  to  om.  L.  50  J  must  be  contented  om.  L. 

51   herein  forsake  me  L.  52  neither  the  law  om.  L.         53  cor.  "have" 

in  L.  54  upon  whom  only  I  will  depend  L.  55  that  L.  56  the  L. 
57  you  L  58   And  L.         59  had  om.  L.         60  good  L. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  53 

"  knoweth  it,  and  I  am  assured  that  your  lordship  a.  d.  1584. 

"  nothing  ^^  doubteth  ^^  thereof.    I  have  rather  cause '— 

"  to  complain  to  your  lordship  of  yourself,  that 
"  upon  so  small  an  ^  occasion,  and  in  the  behalf 
"  of  two  such  ^,  you  will  so  hardly  conceive  of  me, 
**  yea  ^,  and  as  it  were  countenance  persons  so 
"  meanly  qualified  in  so  evil  a  cause  against  me, 
*'  their  ordinary,  and  your  lordship's  so  ^  long  tried 
"  friend.  That  ^^  hath  not  been  so  in  times  past,  ^ 
"  now  it  should  be  least  of  all,  [I  may  not  suffer 
"  the  notorious  contempt  of  one  of  them  especially, 
"  unless  I  will  become  iEsop's  block,  and  undo  all 
"  that  which  hitherto  have  been  done.  Well]  ^^ 
*'  because  I  would  be  loath '°  to  omit  any  thing 
"  whereby  your  lordship  '^  might  be  satisfied,  I  have 
"  sent  unto  you  herein  ''^  inclosed  certain  reasons  to 
"  justify  the  manner  of  my  proceedings,  which  I 
"  marvel  should  be  so  '^  misliked  in  this  cause,  hav- 
'•  ing  been  so  long  practised  "^  in  the  same,  and 
"  never  before  this  time  found  fault  with.  Truly, 
"  my  lord,  "^  I  must  ''^  proceed  this  way,  or  not  at 
"  all :  the  reasons  I  have  '^~  set  down  in  this  paper ; 
"  and  '^  I  heartily  pray  your  lordship  "^^  not  to  be 
"  carried  away  either  from  the  cause  or  from  myself 
"  upon  unjust  surmises  and  ^^  clamours,  lest  ^^  you 
*'  be  the  ^^  occasion  of  that  confusion  which  here- 
"  after  you  would  ^"^  be  sorry  for.  For  mine  own 
"  part,   I  ^*  desire  no  ^^  further    defence   in    these 


61  nothing  om.  L.  62  not  L.  63  an  om.  L.  64  and  in  the  behalf  of 
two  such  om.  L.  65  yea  om.  L.  66  so  om.  L.  67  It  L.  68  and  L. 
69  but  L.  70  to  leave  your  lordship  unsatisfied  or  L.  71   you  L. 

72  here  L.  73  much  L.  74  in  the  like,  yea,  and  L.  75  my  lord 

owi.  L.  76  either  L.  77  are  L.  78  now,  my  singular  gootl  lord,  L. 

79  you  L.  80  or  L.  81  thereby  L.  82  some  L.  83  will  L. 

84  am  determined  to  do  my  duty  and  conscience  without  fear,  neither  will  I 
therein  L.         85  no  om.  L. 

E  3 


54  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.I  584."  occasions,  neither  of  your  lordship  nor  any  other  ^^, 

26  Eliz.  ^  ^  1  ^ 

"  than  justice  and  law  will  yield  unto  me.     In  my 

*'  own  ^'^  private  affairs  I  know  ^^  I  shall  stand  in 
"  need  of  friends,  especially  of  your  lordship,  of 
"  whom  I  have  made  always  an  assured  account  ^^ ; 
"  but  in  these  public  actions  I  see  no  cause  why  I 
"  should  seek  for  •**'  friends,  seeing  they  to  whom 
"  the  care  of  the  commonwealth  is  committed  ought 
"  of  duty  ^^  therein  to  join  with  me.  To  conclude, 
"  I  am  your  lordship's  ^^  assured ;  neither  will  I  ever 
"  be  persuaded  but  you  do  all  even  of  hearty  good- 
"  will  towards  me  ^'. 

"  [From  Croydon,  the  15th  of  July,  1584. 

"  To  your  Lordship,  most  bound,]  ^ 

"  John  Cantuar." 

Sir  Francis  Now,  amongst  all  the  favourers  of  the  presbyte- 
ham  a  good  rians,  surely  honesty  and  wisdom  never  met  more 
in  any  than  in  sir  Francis  Walsingham,  of  Avliom  it 
may  be  said,  (abate  for  the  disproportion,)  as  of  St. 
Paul,  though  poor,  yet  making  many  rich.  Having 
but  one  only  daughter,  (whose  extraordinary  hand- 
someness, with  a  moderate  portion,  would  consider- 
ably prefer  her  in  marriage',)  he  neglected  wealth 
in  himself,  though  I  may  say  he  enriched  many,  not 
only  his  dependents,  but  even  the  English  nation, 


86  of  any  of  my  friends  L.  87  own  om.  L.  88  how  greatly  L. 

89  myself  sure  L.  90  for  o/«.  L.  91  of  duty  o;n.  L.  92  most  L. 

93  neither  do  I  doubt  of  the  continuance  of  your  good  affection  towards  me, 
which  I  heartily  desire,  as  God  himself  knoweth,  to  whose  tuition  I  commit 
you.  L.  94  From  L.,  omitted  in  Fuller's  copy. 


>  QShe  was  first  married  to  singham  died  so  poor  that  he 

the  celebrated  sir  Philip  Sid-  was  privately  buried,  to  prevent 

ney,  and  afterwards  to  the  un-  his  creditors  from   seizing  his 

fortunate  earl  of  Essex.     Wal-  body.] 


noncon- 
formists. 


CENT.  xvT.  of  Britain.  55 

by  his  prudent  steering  of  state  affairs.     How   lieA.  d.  1584. 

intercetled  to  qualify  the  archbishop  for  a  semi-non — 

conformist,  we  learn  from  his  following  letter  '^ : 

"  Tt  may  please  your  grace  to  understand  tliat  this  sir  Francis 

*  bearer,  INIr.  Leverwood,  of  whom  I  wrote  unto  ham^llftter 
'  your  grace,  hath  been  here  with  me ;  and  finding  ^^^^^^^  ^^^' 
'  him  very  conformable,  and  willing  to  observe  such  f-i^our  of 

•'  ^  "      _  noncon- 

'  orders  as  are  appointed  to  be  used  in  the  church,  formists. 
'  as  your  grace  shall  partly  perceive  by  certain  arti- 
'  cles    subscribed   with    his   own   hand,   and  herein 

*  enclosed,  I  willed  him  to  repair  unto  your  grace  ; 
'  and  in  case  these  articles  may  be  allowed,  then 

*  I  pray  your  grace  to  be  his  good  lord,  and  that 
'  with  your  good-will  and  favour  he  may  proceed  in 
'  his  suit  ^ :  upon  knowledge  whereof  I  do  mean  to 
'  deal  further  therein  with  her  majesty  thereof  for 
'  him,  as  I  have  already  begun  to  do,  upon  the  good 

*  report  I  heard  of  the  man,  before  your  grace's 
'  message  sent  to  Mr.  Nicasius  for  the  stay  thereof. 

*  And  so  I  humbly  take  my  leave. 

"  Your  Grace's,  at  command, 
"  Francis  Walsingham," 

What  this  letter  effected,  the  next  will  inform  us. 


k    [Of  the    subject    of   this  sentation  of  the  character  and 

and  the  subsequent  letter,  see  motives     of    those     turbulent 

Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  226.    He  men.     The    severest    censures 

has    printed    the    name    Lever  ever  passed  upon  them  will  be 

Wood   throughout,  and   refers  found    in   Walsingham's    own 

both  letters  to  the  year  1585.]  letter  to  monsieur   Critoy,  in 

1   [The   favour   which    Wal-  Burnet's  Hist,  of  the  Refornia- 

singham  shewed  to  the  puritans  tion,  II.  p.  837.] 
gives  a  great  value  to  his  repre- 

E  4 


56  The  Church  History  look  ix. 

A.  D. 158^. 

26  Eiiz.  "  Right  Honourable, 

The  arch-  "  I  thank  voii  heartily  for  your  letter,  written 
answer  to  "  "uto  me  in  the  behalf  of  Lever  wood,  wherein  I  per- 
Wakl!i'J-  "  ceive  the  performance  of  your  honourable  speeches 
ham's  let-  u  ^^  myself,  in  promising  to  join  with  me  against 
"  such  as  shall  be  breakers  of  the  orders  of  the 
"  church  established,  and  movers  of  contentions 
"  therein.  Upon  that,  and  other  like  speeches  of 
"  yours  with  me  at  your  last  being  at  Lambeth,  I 
"  have  forborne  to  suspend  or  deprive  any  man 
"  already  placed  in  any  cure  or  charge,  for  not  sub- 
*'  scribing  only,  if  hereafter  he  would  promise  unto 
"  me  in  writing  the  observing  of  the  Book  of  Com- 
"  mon  Prayer,  and  the  Orders  of  the  church  by  law 
"  set  down  ;  and  I  do  now  require  subscription  to  the 
"  said  Articles  of  such  only  as  are  to  be  admitted  to 
"  the  ministry  and  to  ecclesiastical  livings,  wherein 
"  I  find  myself  something  eased  of  my  former  trou- 
''  bles  ;  and  as  yet  none  or  very  few  of  the  last 
"  named  persons  do  refuse  to  subscribe  to  the  said 
"  Articles,  though  some  of  them  have  been  account- 
"  ed  heretofore  very  precise.  I  also  very  well  re- 
"  member  that  it  was  her  own  wish  and  desire  that 
"  such  as  hereafter  should  be  admitted  to  any  living 
"  should  in  like  manner  be  tied  to  the  observing 
"  the  Orders,  which,  as  it  hath  already  wrought 
"  some  (juietness  in  the  church,  so  I  doubt  not  but 
"  that  it  will  in  time  perfect  the  same.  And  I  can- 
"  not  break  that  order  in  one,  but  other  will  look 
"  for  the  like  favour,  to  the  renewing  and  increasing 
"  of  the  former  schism,  not  yet  already  extinguished. 
"  Wherefore  T  heartily  pray  you  to  join  with  me 
"  herein. 


CKNT.  XVI.  of  Britai)!.  57 

"Touching  the  Articles  enclosed  in  your  letter,A. d.  1584. 
"  whereunto  Leverwood  hath  subscribed,  they  are  of  ^ 


"  no  moment,  but  such  as  may  easily  be  eluded ;  for 
"  whereas  he  first  saith  that  he  will  willingly  sub- 
"  scribe  as  far  as  the  law  requireth  at  his  hand,  his 
"  meaning  is,  that  the  law  requireth  no  such  sub- 
"  scription  ;  for  so  I  am  informed  that  some  lawyers 
"  (therein  deceived)  have  persuaded  him  and  others. 
"  And  in  saying  that  he  will  always  in  the  ministry 
"  use  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  and  none  else, 
"  his  meaning  is,  that  he  will  use  but  so  much  of 
"  the  book  as  pleaseth  him,  and  not  that  he  will  use 
"  all  things  in  the  book  required  of  him.  I  have 
"  dealt  with  him  in  some  particularities,  which  he 
"  denieth  to  use,  and  therefore  his  subscription  is  to 
"  small  purpose.  I  would,  as  near  as  I  can,  provide 
*'  that  none  should  hereafter  come  into  the  church 
"  to  breed  new  troubles.  I  can  be  better  occupied 
"  otherwise ;  and  God  would  bless  our  labours  more 
"  amply,  and  give  better  success  to  the  word  so 
"  commonly  and  diligently  preached,  if  we  could  be 
"  at  peace  and  quietness  among  ourselves,  which  I 
"  most  heartily  wish,  and  doubt  not  to  bring  to  pass 
"  by  God's  grace ;  the  rather  through  your  good 
"  help  and  assistance,  whereof  I  assure  myself.  And 
"  so,  with  my  hearty  prayers,  &c., 

"  John  Cantuar." 

Thus  have  we  presented  to  the  reader  some  select  a  trausi- 
letters,  out  of  many  in  my  hand,  passing  betwixt  theotirermat. 
highest    persons   in   church  matters,     I  count   it  a**''^' 
blessing  that  Providence  hath  preserved  such  a  trea- 
sure unplundered,  esteem  it  a  favour  in  such  friends 


58  The  Chunk  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1584.  as  imparted  them  unto  me,  and  conceive  it  no  un- 
26  Eliz.  i  ,  .  .       .         , 
graterul  act  in  our  communicatmg  the  same  to  the 

reader.  And  now  we  (who  hitherto,  according  to 
good  manners,  have  hekl  our  peace  while  such  who 
were  far  our  betters,  by  their  pens,  spake  one  to 
another)  begin  to  resume  our  voice,  and  express 
ourselves  as  well  as  we  may  in  the  following  his- 
tory. 
Stis^""'  10.  By  the  changing  of  Edmund  into  John  Can- 
death,  tuar,  it  ]dainly  appears,  that  as  all  these  letters  were 
written  this  year,  so  they  were  indited  after  the  sixth 
of  July,  (and  probably  about  December,)  when  bishop 
Grindal  deceased.  Our  English  Eli,  for  office,  (high- 
est in  spiritual  promotion,)  age,  (whereby  both  were 
blind,)  and  manner  of  his  death,  thus  far  forth  as 
heartbroken  Avith  sorrow.  Grindal's  grief  proceeded 
from  the  queen's  displeasure,  undeservedly  procured 
by  the  practices  of  his  malicious  enemies.  There 
want  not  those  who  will  strain  the  parallel  betwixt 
Eli  and  Grindal  in  a  fourth  respect,  both  being 
guilty  of  dangerous  indulgence  and  lenity  to  offenders. 
Indeed  Grindal,  living  and  dying  sole  and  single, 
could  not  be  cockering  to  his  own  children  ;  but  as 
a  father  of  the  church  he  is  accused  for  too  much 
conniving  at  the  factious  disturbers  thereof.  Sure  I 
am  he  was  an  impartial  corrector  of  men's  vicious 
conversations  :  witness  his  sharp  reproving  of  Julio, 
the  Italian  physician,  for  marrying  another  man's 
wife ;  which  bitter  but  wholesome  pill  the  physician 
himself  not  being  able  to  digest,  incensed  the  earl  of 
Leicester,  and  he  the  queen's  majesty  against  the 
good  archbishop.  But  all  was  put  on  the  account 
of  Grindal's  nonconformity,  for  favouring  the  factious 


CENT,  XVI.  of  Britain.  59 

meetings  called  prophesyings  "\      Grindal,  sensibleA.  0.1584. 

of  the   queen's    displeasure,   desired    to    resign  his 1- 

place,  and  confine  himself  to  a  yearly  pension ;  not 
(as  some  may  pretend)  that  it  was  against  his  con- 
science to  keep  it,  but  because  above  his  impotent 
age  to  manage  so  great  a  charge.  The  place  was 
proflt'ered  to  Whitgift,  but  he,  in  the  presence  of  the 
queen,  utterly  refused  it ;  yet  what  he  would  not 
snatch  soon  after  fell  into  his  hands  by  Grindal's 
death . 

11.  Whoso  beholds  the  large  revenues  conferred  a  plea  n . t 
on  (jrmdal,  the  long  tune  he  enjoyed  them,  (bishop poverty. 
of  London,  archbishop  of  York  and  Canterbury  above 
eighteen  years,)  the  little  charge  encumbering  him, 
dying  a  single  man,  will  admire  at  the  mean  estate 
he  left  behind  him ;  yea,  perchance  they  will  erro- 
neously impute  this  to  his  prodigality,  which  more 
truly  is  to  be  ascribed  to  his  contempt  of  the  world, 
unwilling  to  die  guilty  of  much  wealth  ;  not  to 
speak  of  fat  servants  made  under  a  lean  master. 
The  little  he  had,  as  it  was  well  gotten,  was  well 
bestowed,  in  pious  uses  on  Cambridge  and  Oxford, 
with  the  building  and  endowing  of  a  school  at  St. 
Bees  in  Cumberland  ",  where  he  was  born.  Yea, 
he  may  be  beheld  as  a  benefactor  to  the  English 
nation,  for  bringing  tamarisk  first  over  into  England. 
As  the  inventors  of  evil  things  are  justly  taxed 
by   the    apostle  ^,   so    the    first    importers    of  good 

^    [This  tale  is  told  by  sir  upon    its    library    some   of   its 

J.    Harington,    in     his    Nugae  most  valuable  books,  many  of 

Antiquse,  II.  p.  18.]  which   contain    annotations   in 

"   [He  was  also  a  considera-  his  own  hand.] 

ble  benefactor  to  Queen's  Col-  «    Rom.    i.    13.       [See    the 

lege,    Oxford,    and    bestowed  Worthies,  II.  312.] 


60  The  Church  History  of  Britain.         book  ix. 

A. D.  1584. things    deserve    due    commendation;     that     plant 

!!l_  being  so  sovereign  to  mollify  the  hardness  of  the 

spleen,  a  malady  whereof  students  (betrayed  there- 
unto by  their  sedentary  lives)  too  generally  do 
complain. 


SECT.   VI. 


TO  THE 

MASTER,  WARDENS,  AND  ALL  THE 
MEMBERS 

OF  THE   HONOURABLE  COMPANY  OF  MERCERS 
OF  LONDON. 

As  it  would  be  a  sin  of  omission  in  me,  (so  much  ohliged  to 
your  society,)  should  no  share  in  my  History  he  allowed  unto 
you,  so  I  should  commit  a  great  incongruity  if  assigning  it 
any  where  else  than  in  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  whose 
great  grandfather,  sir  Godfrey  Boleyn,  (1458,  mayor  of 
London^  is  generally  believed  one  of  your  company ;  so  that 
the  crowned  maidenhead  in  your  arms  may  in  some  sort 
seem  prophetical,  presaging  such  a  queen-virgin  should  be 
extracted  from  one  of  your  society,  as  the  Christian  world 
could  not  parallel  in  all  particular's. 

Indeed  much  of  credit  is  imported  in  your  very  name  ;  for 
seeing  all  buyers  and  sellers  are  mercers  a  Mercando,  custom 
hath  confined  and  fixed  the  term  eminently  on  yoiir  corpora- 
tion, as  always  the  prime  chapmen  of  our  nation,  in  tchich 
respect  you  have  the  precedency  of  all  other  companies. 

I  will  detain  you  no  longer  froui  better  customers,  wishing  you 
sound  wares,  quick  vent,  good  prices,  sure  payment ;  one 


62 


The  Chtinh  Histori/ 


BOOK  IX. 


A.  D.  1584 
26  Eliz. 


commodity  alone  excepted.,  I  mean  the  truth  itself :  this  buy, 
and  sell  it  not  ^ ;  purchase  it  on  any  terms,  hut  part  with 
it  on  no  conditions. 

BOUT  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  on 
the  Lord's  day,  a  sad  accident  hap- 
pened in  Paris  Garden,  on  the  south 
side  of  Thames,  over  against  London. 
Whilst  multitudes  were  beholding  the 
])aiting  of  the  bear,  the  old  under-propped  scaffolds, 
overladen  with  people,  suddenly  fell  down,  killed 
eight  outright '',  hurt  and  bruised  many  more,  to  the 
shortening  of  their  lives.  The  assertors  of  the  strict 
observation  of  the  sabbath  ^  vigorously  improve  this 
(as  well  they  may)  against  them  who  profane  the 
Lord's  day,  which  afterwards  (the  joyful  effect  of  a 
doleful  cause)  was  generally  kept  with  more  care- 
fulness. 
Robert  2.  Robert  Brown  began  at  this  time  to  broach  his 

app'Jars.  '^'^  opiuious.  He  was  born  in  Rutlandshire,  of  an  an- 
cient and  worshipful  family,  (one  whereof  founded  a 
fair  hospital  in  Stamford  ^,)  nearly  allied  to  the  lord 
treasurer  Cecil.  He  was  bred  for  a  time  in  Cam- 
bridge, I  conceive  in  Corpus  Christi  College  %  but 
question  whether  ever  a  graduate  therein.  He  used 
some  time  to  preach  at  Bennet  Church,  where  the 
vehemency  of  his  utterance  passed  for  zeal  among 
the  common  people,  and  made  the  vulgar  to  admire, 
the  wise  to  suspect  him.  Dr.  Still,  afterwards  mas- 
ter of  Trinity,  (out  of  curiosity,  or  casually  present 


*  Prov.  xxiii.  23. 
^  Holinshed,  I.  p.  1353. 
c  Dr.  Bownd. 

d  Camden's  Brit,  in  Lincoln- 
shire. 


p  ["  Some  time  of  Bennet 
"  College  in  Cambridge,"  says 
sir  G.  Paule,  in  his  Life  of 
Whitgift,  §.  'J']-'\ 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  63 

at  his  preaching,)  discovered  in  him  something  ex- a. 0.15X4. 

traordinary,  whicli  he  presaged  would  prove  the  dis '— 

tm-bance  of  the  church,  if  not  seasonably  prevented. 
Some  years  after,  Brown  went  over  into  Zealand,  to 
purchase  himself  more  reputation  from  foreign  parts '^; 
for  a  smack  of  travel  gives  an  high  taste  to  strange 
opinions,  making  them  better  relished  to  the  lick- 
erish lovers  of  novelty.  Home  he  returns  with  a 
full  cry  against  the  church  of  England,  as  having  so 
much  of  Rome  she  had  nothing  of  Christ  in  her 
discipline. 

Norfolk  8'  was  the  first  place  whereon  Brown  (new 
flown  home  out  of  the  Low  Countries)  perched  him- 
self, and  therein  in  the  city  of  Norwich ;  a  place 
which  then  spake  little  more  than  medietatem  linguce, 
having  almost  as  many  Dutch  strangers  as  English 
natives  inhabiting  therein.  Brown,  beginning  with 
the  Dutch,  soon  proceeded  to  infect  his  own  coun- 
trymen ;  for  which  he  was  confined,  as  the  following 
letter  of  the  lord  treasurer  Burleigh  to  bishop  Freake, 
of  Norwich,  will  inform  us  ^  : 

"  After  my  very  hearty  commendations  to  your 
"  lordship,  whereas  I  understand  that  one  Brown,  a 
"  preacher,  is  by  your  lordship  and  others  of  the 
"  ecclesiastical  commission  committed  to  the  custody 
"  of  the  sheriff  of  Norfolk,  where  he  remains  a 
"  prisoner,  for  some  matters  of  offence  uttered  by 
"  him  by  way  of  preaching ;  wherein  I  perceive,  by 
"  sight    of  some    letters    written   by  certain   godly 

^  [See    Strype's    Parker,   p.  respecting  Brown  and  his  er- 

326.]  rors,  to  which  this  of  lord  Bnr- 

g  [See  Strype's  Annals,  III.  leigh's  is  a  reply,  will  be  found 

pp.  44,  186.]  in  Strype's  Annals,  III.  p.  16. 

^    [Bishop    Freake's    letter  It  is  dated  April  19,  1581 .] 


64  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  1).  1584. '»  preachers  in  your  lordship's  diocese,  he  hath  been 

'—  "  dealt  with,  and  by  them  dissuaded  from  that  course 

"  he  hath  taken.  Forasmuch  as  he  is  my  kinsman, 
"  (if  he  be  son  to  him  whom  I  take  him  to  be,)  and 
"  that  his  error  seemeth  to  proceed  of  zeal  rather 
"  than  of  malice,  I  do  therefore  wish  he  were  cha- 
"  ritably  conferred  with  and  reformed ;  which  course 
"  I  pray  your  lordship  may  be  taken  with  him,  either 
"  by  your  lordship  or  such  as  your  lordship  shall 
"  assign  for  that  purpose.  And  in  case  there  shall 
"  not  follow  thereof  such  success  as  may  be  to  your 
'*  liking,  that  then  you  would  be  content  to  permit 
"  him  to  repair  hither  to  London,  to  be  further 
"  dealt  with  as  I  shall  take  order  for  upon  his  com- 
"  ing ;  for  w^hich  purpose  I  have  written  a  letter  to 
"  the  sheriff,  if  your  lordship  shall  like  thereof.  And 
"  so  I  bid  your  lordship  right  heartily  farewell. 

"  From  the  court  at  Westminster,  this  21st  of 
"  April,  1581. 

"  Your  Lordship's  very  loving  Friend, 

"  W.  B." 

After  Brown,  being  thus  brought  up  to  London 
by  the  advice  of  his  friends,  was  wrought  to  some 
tolerable  compliance,  and  being  discharged  by  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was  by  the  lord  treasurer 
sent  home  to  his  father,  Christopher  Brown  S  at 
Tolethorp  in  Rutland,  esq. ;  one,  I  assure  you,  of 
ancient  and  right  worshipful  extraction,  having  my- 
self seen    a   charter   granted   by  king   Henry  the 


'    [Anthony  Brown,  accord-     ginally,  though  he   afterwards 
ing  to  Strype,  Life  of  Whitgift,     corrected  it.] 
p.  323  ;  and  so  in  Fuller  ori- 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  65 

Eiohth,  (the  sixteenth  of  July,  in  the  18th  of  his ^^P- '584- 

*  ^  •"  26  Eliz. 

reign,)  and  confirmed  by  act  of  parliament,  to  Francis 

Brown,  father  to  the  aforesaid  Christopher,  "  giv- 
*'  ing  him  leave  to  put  on  his  cap  in  the  presence  of 
"  the  king  or  his  heirs,  or  any  lord  spiritual  or 
"  temporal  in  the  land,  and  not  to  put  it  off  but 
"  for  his  own  ease  and  pleasure."  But  let  us  see 
the  lord  treasurer's  letter  in  the  behalf  of  Brown 
to  his  father : 

"  After  my  very  hearty  commendations,  under- 
"  standing  that  your  son,  Robert  Brown,  had  been 
"  sent  for  up  by  my  lord  bishop  of  Canterbury,  to 
"  answer  to  such  matters  as  he  was  to  be  charged 
"  withal,  contained  in  a  book  made  by  him,  and 
"  i^ublished  in  print,  as  it  was  thought,  by  his  means, 
"  I  thought  good,  considering  he  was  your  son,  and 
"  of  my  blood,  to  send  unto  my  lord  of  Canterbury 
"  in  his  behalf,  that  he  might  find  what  reasonable 
"  favour  he  could  shew  him,  before  whom  I  perceive 
"  he  hath  answered  in  some  good  sort ;  and  although 
"  I  think  he  will  not  deny  the  making  of  the  book, 
"  yet  by  no  means  will  he  confess  to  be  acquainted 
"  with  the  publishing  or  printing  of  it.  He  hath 
"  besides  yielded  unto  his  lordship  such  further  con- 
"  tentment,  as  he  is  contented  (the  rather  at  my 
"  motion)  to  discharge  him ;  and  therefore  for  that 
"  he  purposeth  to  repair  to  you,  I  have  thought  good 
"  to  accompany  him  with  these  my  letters,  and  to 
"  pray  you  for  this  cause,  or  any  his  former  dealings, 
"  not  to  withdraw  from  him  your  fatherly  love  and 
"  affection;  not  doubting  but  with  time  he  will  be 
"  fully  recovered  and  withdrawn  from  the  relics  of 
"  some  fond  opinions  of  his,  which  will  be  the  better 

1<'ULLER,  VOL.  v.  P 


66  The  Church  History  book  ix, 

A.D.  1584."  (lone  if  be  be  dealt  witbal  in  some  kind  and  tem- 

26  Eliz. 

"  perate  manner.     And  so  I  bid  you  very  heartily 

"  farewell. 

"  From  my  house  near  the  Savoy,  this  eighth  of 
"  October,  1585. 

"  Your  loving  Friend  and  Cousin, 

"  William  Burghley." 

But  it  seems  Brown's  errors  were  so  inlaid  in  him, 
no  conference  with  divines  could  convince  him  to 
the  contrary,  whose  incorrigiblencss  made  his  own 
father  weary  of  his  company.  Men  may  wish,  God 
only  can  work,  children  to  be  good.  The  old  gen- 
tleman would  own  him  for  his  son  no  longer  '^ ;  then 
his  son  owned  the  church  of  England  for  his  mother, 
desiring  to  rid  his  hands  of  him,  as  by  the  ensuing 
letter  will  appear : 

"  After  my  very  hearty  commendations,  I  perceive 
"  by  your  letters  that  you  have  little  or  no  hopes 
"  of  your  son's  conformity,  as  you  had  when  you 
"  received  him  into  your  house ;  and  therefore  you 
"  seem  desirous  that  you  might  have  liberty  to 
"  remove  him  further  off  from  you,  as  either  to 
"  Stamford  or  some  other  place,  which  I  know  no 
"  cause  but  you  may  very  well  and  lawfully  do, 
"  where  •  I  wish  he  might  better  be  persuaded  to 
"  conform  himself,  for  his  own  good,  and  yours  and 
"  his  friends'  comfort.  And  so  I  very  heartily  bid 
"  you  farewell. 

"  From  the  court,  this  seventeenth  of  February, 
"  1585. 

"  Your  very  loving  Friend  and  Cousin, 

"  William  Burghley." 

^  [See  Strype's  Parker^  p.  327.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  67 

Thus,  to    make  our  story  of  the  "  troublesome  a.  0.1584. 

.  "^  26  Eliz. 

"  man"  the  more  entire,  we  have  trespassed  on  the 

two  following  years,  yet  without  discomposing  our 
chronology  on  the  margin. 

3.  With  his  assistant,  Richard  Harrison,  a  petty  Brown  his 
pedagogue,  they  inveighed  against  bishops,  eccle- *'^'"'*''^^' 
siastical  courts,  ceremonies,  ordination  of  ministers, 
and  what  not ;  fancying  here  on  earth  a  platform  of 
a  perfect  church,  without  any  faults  (understand  it 
thus,  save  those  that  are  made  by  themselves)  there- 
in ^  The  reader,  if  desirous  to  know  their  opinions, 
is  referred  to  the  large  and  learned  treatises  written 
against  them,  particularly  to  the  pains  of  Dr.  Fulke, 
proving  that  the  Brownists  (so  named  from  this 
Brown,  their  ringleader)  were  in  effect  the  same 
with  the  ancient  Donatists,  only  newly  revived. 
Thus  there  is  a  circulation,  as  in  fashion  of  clothes, 
so  of  opinions,  the  same  after  some  years  return ; 
Brownism  being  no  more  than  Donatism  vamped 
with  some  new  additions.  The  queen  and  her  coun- 
cil seriously  set  themselves,  first  by  gentleness  to 
reduce,  and  (that  not  succeeding)  by  severity  to 
suppress,  the  increase  of  this  faction.  Brown  him- 
self used  to  boast  that  "  he  had  been  committed  to 
"  thirty-two  prisons,  and  in  some  of  them  he  could 
"  not  see  his  hand  at  noon-day."  Yet  for  all  this  he 
came  off  at  last  both  with  saving  his  life  and  keeping 
his  living  (and  that  none  of  the  meanest,  Achurch 
in  Northamptonshire)  until  the  day  of  his  death  '". 

1  [He  went  over  with  Brown  his  tenets  in  a  gravel-pit  near 
into  Zealand.  See  Strj^pe's  Islington.  See  Paget's  Here- 
Parker,  p.  327.  Brown  him-  siogr.  p.  66.] 
self  was  originally  master  of  >"  ["  He  did  use  to  say," 
the  free-school  in  St.  Olave'.s.  observes  Anthony  Wood,  "  that 
Southwark,    and    disseminated  ''  the  true  protestants  had  no 

¥  2 


68  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1584.  4,  One  may  justly  wonder,  when  many  meaner 
accessories  in  this  schism  were  arraigned,  condemned, 

Extraor-  i  •       -r*  i  •       •       1 

dinary  fa-  exccutcd,  how  this  BrowH,  the  princii)al,  made  so 
du"ge(Uintof^ii'  an  escape,  yea,  enjoyed  such  preferment.  I  will 
^^'  never  believe   that  he   ever   formally  recanted   his 

opinions,  either  by  word  or  writing,  as  to  the  main 
of  what  he  maintained.  INIore  probable  it  is,  that 
the  promise  of  his  general  comiiliance  with  the 
church  of  England  (so  far  forth  as  not  to  make 
future  disturbance  therein)  met  with  the  archbishop's 
courteous  acceptance  thereof;  both  which,  effectually 
improved  by  the  countenance  of  Thomas  Cecil,  earl 
of  Exeter,  (Brown's  near  kinsman  and  patron,)  pro- 
cured this  extraordinary  favour  to  be  indulged  unto 
him  ".  His  parsonage  he  freely  possessed,  allowing 
a  sufficient  salary  for  one  to  discharge  the  cure,  and 
(though  against  them  in  his  judgment)  was  con- 
tented, and  perchance  pleased,  to  take  the  tithes  of 
his  own  parish. 
The  au-  5^  Pqj.  jj^y  Q^j^  part,  (whose  nativitv  Providence 

tlior  s  ol)-  •'  .  .  '      . 

servation  placed  witliiu  a  mile  of  this  Brown  his  pastoral 
charge,)  I  have,  when  a  youth,  often  beheld  him. 
He  was  of  an  imperious  nature,  offended  if  what 
he  affirmed  but  in  common  discourse  were  not  in- 
stantly received  as  an  oracle.  He  was  then  so  far 
from  the  Sabbatarian  strictness  to  which  some  pre- 

"  church  in  England  ;  yet  af-  "  Church."     Athen.  I.  341.] 
"  terwards  he  found  the  way  »    [Rather,   indeed,    of   the 

"  into  their  church,  and  became  lord  treasurer  himself.   See  his 

"  pastor  of  a  place  in  North-  letter  to  the  bishop  of  Peter- 

"  amptonshire  called  Aychurch;  borough,  dated  June  20th,  15  89, 

"  bonmn  iioineii,   bomim   omen,  in  behalf  of  Brown,  who   had 

"  et  quanlum  mutatus  ab  illo.  now  submitted  himself  to  the 

"  And  then  he  used  to  say  that  order  and  government  of  the 

"  there  was  no  church  in  Eng-  church  of  England.     Strype's 

"  land  but  his,  and  that  was  A  Whitgift,  p.  323.] 


hir 


on  mm. 


CENT.  XVI. 


of'  Britain. 


69 


ciser  Brownists  did  afterwards  pretend,  that  both  in  a.  0.1584. 

judgment  and  practice   he   seemed   rather  iibertnie 

therein.  In  a  word,  he  had  in  my  time  a  wife,  with 
whom  for  many  years  he  never  lived,  parted  from  her 
on  some  distaste ;  and  a  church  wherein  he  never 
preached,  though  he  received  the  profits  thereof". 

6.  As  for  his  death  in  the  prison  in  Northamp- Tiie  occa- 

/•  1  •  r»  1   •  r-^^         ^  ^'*"^  of  his 

ton,  many  years  after,  (m  the  reign  or  king  Charles,  late  death. 
anno  1630,)  it  nothing  related  to  those  opinions  he 


°  [Of  this  man,  Robert  Baillie, 
a  Scotch  presbyterian,  gives  the 
follownng  account  in  his  "  Dis- 
"  suasive  from  the  Errors  of 
"  the  Time,"  p.  1 3,  Lond.  1 645  ; 
"  The  horror  of  this  remark- 
"  able  vengeance  (he  means  the 
"  death  of  Bolton,  a  separatist 
"  prior  to  Brown)  did  not  deter 
"  Robert  Brown,  first  a  school- 
"  master  in  Southwark,  and 
"  then  a  preacher  at  Islington 
"  near  London,  to  take  up  that 
"  banner  of  separation  which 
"  God,  as  with  a  bolt  from 
"  heaven,  had  wrung  out  of  the 
"  hands  of  miserable  Bolton  ; 
•'  albeit  that  cause  did  thrive 
"  no  better  with  him  than  with 
"  his  predecessor.  When  this 
"  rash  young  man,  (for  old  he 
"  could  not  be  in  the  1580  year 
"  of  God,  when  he  was  the 
"  prime  leader  of  that  sect, 
"  having  but  lately  died,)  when 
"  he,  I  say,  had  gathered  a 
"  separate  congregation,  and 
"  drawn  up  for  the  defence 
"  of  this  way  these  writings, 
"  whence  ever  since  the  best 
"  arguments  for  that  schism 
*'  are  drawn,  they  went  over 
"  to  enjoy  their  liberty  to  IMid- 
"  delburgh,  of  Zealand.      But 


behold  the  wrath  of  God 
following  them  at  their  heels! 
When  there  was  no  disturb- 
ance from  without,  they  fell 
to  such  jarring  among  them- 
selves, that  soon  they  broke 
all  to  pieces:  the  most  turned 
anabaptists ;  Brown  himself 
returned  to  England,  recant- 
ed his  Brownism,  received  a 
parsonage  at  the  hand  of  a 
bishop.  The  course  of  his 
life,  to  his  deep  old  age,  was 
so  extremely  scandalous,  that 
more  than  ordinary  charity 
is  needful  to  persuade  that 
ever  he  was  led  witli  a  good 
spirit.  I  have  heard  it  from 
reverend  ministers  that  he 
was  a  common  beater  of  his 
poor  old  wife,  and  would  not 
stick  to  defend  publicly  this 
his  wicked  practice ;  also  that 
he  was  an  open  profaner  of 
the  sabbath  ;  and  that  his 
injustice  in  not  paying  the 
small  pittance  he  was  in- 
debted to  him  whom  laziness 
in  his  calling  made  him  to 
keep  for  the  supply  of  the 
cure  of  his  parsonage  did 
bring  him  to  prison,  in  the 
which,  for  that  very  cause, 
he  continued  till  death."] 

F  3 


70  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A. D.  1584. did  or  his  followers  do  maintain:  for,  as  I  am  cre- 

26  Eliz. 

dibly  informed,  being  by  the  constable  of  the  parish 

(who  chanced  also  to  be  his  godson)  somewhat 
roughly  and  rudely  required  the  payment  of  a  rate, 
he  happened  in  passion  to  strike  him.  The  con- 
stable, not  taking  it  patiently  as  a  castigation  from 
a  godfather,  but  in  anger  as  an  affront  to  his  office, 
complained  to  sir  Rowland  St.  John,  a  neighbouring 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  Brown  is  brought  before 
him.  The  knight,  of  himself,  was  prone  rather  to 
pity  and  pardon  than  punish  his  passion ;  but  Brown's 
behaviour  was  so  stubborn,  that  he  appeared  obsti- 
nately ambitious  of  a  prison,  as  desirous,  after  long 
absence,  to  renew  his  familiarity  with  his  ancient 
acquaintance.  His  mittimus  is  made,  and  a  cart  with 
a  feather-bed  provided  to  carry  him,  he  himself  being 
so  infirm  (above  eighty)  to  go,  too  unwieldy  to  ride, 
and  no  friend  so  favourable  as  to  purchase  for  him  a 
more  comely  conveyance.  To  Northampton  gaol  he 
is  sent,  where,  soon  after,  he  sickened,  died,  and  was 
buried  in  a  neighljouring  churchyard ;  and  it  is  no 
hurt  to  wish  that  his  bad  opinions  had  been  interred 
with  him. 
Two  7.  The  tenets  of  Brownists  daily  increasing,  their 

executed,  books  wcrc  prohibited  by  the  queen's  authority; 
notwithstanding  which  prohibition  some  presumed 
to  disperse  the  same,  and  paid  dearly  for  their  con- 
tempt therein ;  for  Elias  Thacker  was  hanged  on 
the  fourth  and  John  Coping  on  the  sixth  of  June, 
at  the  same  place,  St.  Edmund's  Bury,  and  for  the 
same  offence,  the  scattering  such  schismatical  pam- 
phlets P. 

P  Stow's  Chronicle,  p.  697.     [Holinshed,  II.  1353.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  71 

8.  John  Whitoift,  succeedinty  in  the  archbishop- a. p.  15^^ 

^      '  o  _  ^        26  Eliz. 

ric,  found  it  much  surcharsfed  in  the  valuation  and  „„ .   .^ — 

'  _  *  Whitgift 

impaired  in  the  revenues,  through  the  neghgence  of  succeedeth 
his  predecessor,  who  would  pay  willingly  what  they 
asked  of  him,  and  take  contentedly  what  any  ten- 
dered to  him.  First,  therefore,  Whitgift  procured 
an  order  out  of  the  exchequer  for  the  abatement  of 
an  hundred  pound  for  him  and  his  successors  in  the 
payment  of  his  first-fruits  1 ;  afterwards  he  encoun- 
tered no  meaner  man  than  that  great  courtier,  sol- 
dier, and  privy  counsellor,  sir  James  Crofts  ;  or  rather 
he  legally  contested  with  the  queen  in  him,  and 
recovered  from  both  Long  Beechwood  in  Kent,  con- 
taining above  a  thousand  acres  of  land,  detained 
from  his  predecessor  under  colour  of  a  lease  from 
her  majesty  ^ 

9.  This  year  Nicholas  Sanders  (more  truly  Slan-  Death  of 
ders)  had  in  Ireland  a  woful  end  of  his  wretched 

life  ^  He  was  born  in  Surrey,  bred  first  in  Win- 
chester, then  in  New  College  in  Oxford,  where  he 
was  king's  professor  of  canon  law ;  but  afterwards, 
banishing  himself,  fled  to  Rome,  there  made  priest 
and  doctor  of  divinity.  He  accompanied  cardinal 
Hosius  to  the  council  of  Trent,  and  there  is  said,  by 
disputing  and  declaiming,  to  have  gained  himself 
great  reputation.  At  last  he  was  sent  over  pope's 
nuncio  into  Ireland,  conceived  then  a  desperate  em- 
ployment, and  therefore  many  catholics  regretted 
thereat ;  yea,  some  were  overheard  to  say,  (but  it  is 
Pitzgeus  Sanders'  own  sister's  son  who  reports  it  *,) 
"  Why  does  his  holiness  send  our  Sanders  into  Ire- 

q  Sir  George  Paul,  Life  of         s    Camden's     Eliz.     in     hoc 
Whitgift,  §.  52.  anno. 

•■  Idem.  *  De  Scriptor.  p.  773. 

F  4 


72 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


A. D.I 584. "  land  ? 

26  Elfz. 


Lewes 
burnt  at 
Norwich. 


Popish 
libels. 


we  value  him  more  than  all  Ireland  is 
"  worth."  There,  amongst  the  bogs  and  mountains, 
was  he  starved  to  death,  justly  famished  for  want  of 
food,  who  formerly  had  surfeited  on  improbable  lies, 
by  him  first  forged  on  the  nativity  of  queen  Eliza- 
beth \ 

10.  We  must  not  forget  how,  this  year,  one  John 
Lewes  was  burnt  at  Norwich  for  denying  the  God- 
head of  Christ,  and  holding  other  detestable  here- 
sies '^.  He  called  himself  "  Abdoit  y,"  (let  him  tell 
you  what  he  meant  thereby,)  alluding  therein  to  the 
promise  of  a  new  name,  wJiich  no  man  knoweth  but 
him  that  receiveth  it  ^ ;  having  in  it  a  little  mock- 
Hebrew,  to  make  himself  the  more  remarkable. 

11.  Now,  so  great  was  the  malice  of  the  Jesuits 
against  her  majesty,  that  at  this  time  they  set  forth 
many  slanderous  libels,  stirring  up  her  subjects  and 
servants  to  do  the  same  to  her  as  Judith  did  to 
Holofernes  ^.  One  of  their  principal  pamphlets  was 
entitled  "  A  Treatise  of  Schism."  The  suspicion  of 
making  it  fell  on  Gregory  INIartin,  one  probable 
enough  for  such  a  prank,  (as  being  divinity  professor 
in  Rheims,)  did  not  his  epitaph  there  ensure  me  he 


^  [This  is  denied  by  the 
author  of  the  life  of  Sanders, 
prefixed  to  his  book  "  De  Lu- 
"  theranorum  Dissidiis,"  &c. 
ed.  1594.  He  states  that  San- 
ders died  from  over-exertion, 
worn  out  by  the  constant  em- 
ployment of  his  spiritual  func- 
tions. In  the  "  Execution  of 
"  Justice"  it  is  stated  that 
Sanders  died  raving.  Somers' 
Tracts,  I.  p.  203.  An  excel- 
lent   account  of   Sanders  will 


be  found  in  Wood's  Athen.  I. 
204.  The  account  of  him  pre- 
fixed to  the  work  above  quoted 
is  also  a  valuable  document, 
hitherto,  I  believe,  unnoticed.] 

X  [The  original  draught  of 
the  significavit  for  his  burning 
is  still  preserved  among  the 
Sarum  MSS.  in  the  Bodleian.] 

y  Stow's  Chron.  p.  697. 

z  Rev.  ii.  17. 

^  Camden's  Eliz.  in  hoc 
anno. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  73 

was  dead  and  buried  two  years  before^';  though  it  is  a.  d.  1584. 
possible  his  posthurae  work  might  be  born  abroad '— 


after  the  death  of  the  author  thereof.  But  whoever 
made  it,  WiUiam  Carter,  the  stationer,  paid  dearly 
for  pubHshing  it,  being  executed  at  Tyburn  ^ ;  and 
in  the  next  month  five  seminaries  (James  Fenn, 
George  Haddock,  John  JNIunden,  John  Nutter,  and 
Thomas  Cemerford)  were  hanged,  bowelled,  and 
quartered  for  treason,  at  Tyburn  ;  and  many  others 
about  the  same  time  executed  in  other  places. 

12.  Yet  even  in  the  midst  of  this  necessary  seve- The  queen, 
rity  her  majesty  was  most  merciful  unto  many  popish  mercy. 
malefactors,  M'hose  lives  stood  forfeited  to  the  laws, 
in  the  rigour  thereof;  for  no  fewer  than  seventy 
priests  (some  of  them  actually  condemned  to  die,  all 
legally  deserving  death)  were,  by  one  act  of  grace, 
jjardoned,  and  sent  over  beyond  sea.  Amongst  these 
were, 

i.  Caspar  Haywood,  son  to  that  eminent  epigram- 
matist, the  first  Jesuit*^  that  ever  set  foot  in  Eng- 
land ^. 

ii.  James  Bosgrave. 

iii.  John  Hart,  a  learned  man,  zealous  to  dispute, 
not  dangerous  to  practice  for  his  religion. 

iv.  Edward  Rishton,  (ungrateful  wretch,)  who  af- 
terwards railed  in  print  on  the  queen,  who  gave  him 
his  life  ^. 


b  [Oct.  28,  1582.]      Pitz,  in  the  other  seminaries  mentioned 

Vita,   ]).  782.      [Tanner  attri-  below  will  also  be  found  in  the 

butes  the  tract  to  Martin.]  same  author,  f.  133 — 160.] 

c  [See  a  full  account  of  him  ^  Camden's  Eliz.  1584. 

ajid  his  trial  in  Bridgewater's  *=   [See  Bridgewater,  ibid.  f. 

Concertatio,    f.  127,  295.      A  409.] 

very  detailed  narrative  of  the  ^  QThese  men  were  all  Je- 

proceedings  against  Fenn  and  suits,  except  the  last.     For  an 


74  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1584.      Her  majesty's  mercy  herein  was  the  more  remark- 

■27  Eliz 


able,  because  done  at  a  time  when  treasons  against 
her  person  (by  Ardern,  Somerville,  Throgmorton,  &c.) 
did  follow,  or  rather  tread,  one  on  another.  If  here- 
after the  edge  of  justice  fall  sharper  on  Jesuits,  let 
them  thank  their  own  treachery,  which  whetted  it 
against  themselves. 
Two  fruit-       13.  This  year  two  conferences  or  disputations  were 

less  COO" 

fereuces.     kept,  (the  last  at  Lambeth,)  about  the  discipline  and 
ceremonies  of  the  church. 

i.  Wliitgift,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Sandys  of 
York,  and  Cooper  of  Winchester,  for  the  same. 

ii.  Unconforming  ministers  (whose  names  I  cannot 
certainly  attain)  against  it. 

iii.  The  lords  of  her  majesty's  privy  council,  and 
some  other  persons  of  honour,  auditors  thereof  &. 

This  conference  effected  nothing  on  the  disputants 
as  to  the  altering  of  their  opinions,  little  on  the 
auditors,  but  as  much  on  all  as  any  judicious  person 
ever  expected.  What  Elijah  said  passionately,  / 
am  no  better  than  my  fathers  ^  may  be  soberly  said 
of  this  conference :  it  was  no  happier  than  any  of 
its  ancestors  which  went  before  it ;  let  me  add  also. 


account   of  these    proceedings  bini,   Vita    Campiani,    p.  243. 

by  their  own  part}^  see  IMori  Hart    was    the    person    whose 

Hist.  Soc.  Jesu,  p.  133.     This  disputation  with   Kainolds  has 

writer  has  devoted  many  pages  b^'en   already  mentioned  ;    and 

to  the  history  of   these   men,  Rishton    was    the    continuator 

who  were  eminent  among  those  of  Saunders'  book,   De  Schis- 

of  their  own  persuasions.   Bos-  mate  Aiiglicano.  Of  Haywood, 

grave   was   one    of  those  who  Hart,  and  Rishton,  see  XVood's 

assisted     at      the      conference  Athen.  I.  p.  223,  277,  290.] 

between    Campian    and    dean  s  [See  Sir  G.  Paule's  Life  of 

Nowell     and     others,    in     the  Whitgift,  §.  55.] 

Tower,    in  1581.     See    Bom-  ^   i  Kings  xix.  4. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  75 

and    no    unhappier    than    its    successors    that  shall  a.  d.  1584. 

come    after  it ;    it    being   observed    that    meetings  — '■ 

of  this  nature,  before  or  after  this  time,  never  pro- 
duced any  great  matter  on  persons  present  thereat, 
who  generally  carry  away  the  same  judgment  they 
brought  with  them.  And  yet  the  lords  were  pleased 
to  say  their  judgments  were  satisfied  in  the  point  on 
the  bishops'  behalf,  not  conceiving  their  adversaries' 
arguments  so  slight  and  trivial  as  now  they  appeared. 
This  was  in  some  of  them  but  a  court  compliment, 
who  afterwards  secretly  acted  against  the  archbishop 
in  favour  of  the  other  party  '. 

14.  Whitgift,  finding  this  first  way  unsuccessful,  Subscnp- 

tioii  severe* 

fell  from  other  reasoning  to  a  flat  argument  from  ly  pressed, 
authority,  enjoining  all  admitted  to  the  ecclesiastical 
orders  and  benefices  the  subscription  of  the  following 
Articles : 

i.  "  That  the  queen  had  supreme  authority  over 
"  all  persons  born  within  her  dominions,  of  what 
"  condition  soever  they  were ;  and  that  no  other 
"  prince,  prelate,  or  potentate  hath  or  ought  to  have 
"  any  jurisdiction,  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  within  her 
"  realms  or  dominions." 

ii.  "  That  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  and  the 
"  ordination  of  bishops,  priests,  and  deacons,  con- 
"  taineth  nothing  contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  but 


'    [Their    reason    being,   not  "  listed  unto  ecclesiastical  pro- 

that  they  cared  about  the  me-  "  motions,     they,    with     some 

rits   of  the  question   one  way  "  others,     linked     themselves 

or    another,    but,    like    Judas,  "  against  the  archbishop,  and 

"  when  those  honourable  per-  "  gave  him  (being  yet  no  coun- 

"  sonages  saw  that  they  might  "  cillor  of  state)  many  thwarts 

"  not  sway  (as  formerly  in  the  "  at   the  council-board."      Sir 

"  restraint  of  archbishop  Grin-  G.  Paul,  ibid.] 
"  dal)  and  prefer  whom  they 


forth. 


76  Tlie  Church  Historij  book  ix. 

A.  D.  i.i;84. "  may  lawfully  be  used  ;  and  that  they  will  use  that, 

27  Eliz.  I  ^  ■>■, 

— "  and  none  other. 

iii.  "  That  the  Articles  of  Religion  agreed  in  the 
"  synod  holden  at  London  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
"  1562,  and  published  by  the  queen's  authority,  they 
"  did  allow  of,  and  believe  them  to  be  consonant  to 
"  the  word  of  God." 

The  severe  enforcing  of  subscription  hereunto, 
what  great  disturbance  it  occasioned  in  the  church, 
shall  hereafter  (by  God's  assistance)  be  made  to 
appear,  leaving  others  to  judge  whether  the  offence 
was  given  or  taken  thereby. 
TheRhem-  15.  NoAv  Came  forth  the  Rhemish  translation  of 
latioITcomes  the  New  Testament  ^,  a  translation  which  needeth  to 
be  translated,  neither  good  Greek,  Latin,  or  English, 
as  every  where  bespeckled  with  hard  words,  (pre- 
tended not  renderable  in  English  without  abatement 
of  some  expressiveness,)  which  transcend  common 
capacities;  besides,  it  is  taxed  by  our  divines  as 
guilty  of  abominable  errors  therein.  It  was  printed 
in  large  paper,  with  a  fair  letter  and  margent,  all 
which  I  have  charity  enough  to  impute  to  their  de- 
sire to  do  it  for  the  more  dignity  of  God's  word ; 
whilst  others  interpret  it  that  thereby  [)urposely  they 
enhanced  the  price,  to  put  it  past  the  power  of  poor 
men's  purses  to  purchase  it.  Another  accident  raised 
the  dearness  thereof :  because,  so  many  books  being 
seized  on  by  the  queen's  searchers,  the  whole  i)rice 
of  the  edition  fell  the  more  heavy  on  the  remainder. 
But  suppose  a  poor  lay-catholic  so  rich  through  his 


^   [Of  the   Rhemish   Testa-     see   Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  253. 
meat,  and  the  answers  made  to     Annals,  III.  p.  199-1 
it   by   Fulke   and   Cartwright, 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain, 


Tf 


industry  as  secretly  to  purchase  one  of  these  Rhemish  a.  d.  1584. 

Testaments,  he  durst  not  avouch  the  reading  thereof 

without  the  permission  of  his  superiors  licensing  him 
thereunto. 

16.  Secretary  Walsinffham,  by  his  letters,  solicited  Caitwnght 

nil  p      •  pinvited  to 

Mr.  Thomas  Cartwright  to  undertake  the  reiutmg  01  answer  it. 
this  Rhemish  translation,  and,  the  better  to  enable 
him  for  the  work,  sent  him  an  hundred  pounds  ^  out 
of  his  own  purse  ^ ;  a  bountiful  gift  for  one  who 
was,  though  a  great  statesman,  a  man  of  small  estate, 
contracting  honourable  poverty  on  himself  by  his 
expense  on  the  public  ",  as  dying  not  so  engaged  to 
his  private  creditors  as  the  whole  church  and  state 
was  indebted  to  his  endeavours.     Walsingham   his 


'  See  the  preface  to  Cart- 
wright's  book. 

™  [A  copy  of  this  letter  is 
in  the  State  Paper  Office,  al- 
though with  no  name  attached 
to  it.  The  letter  says,  "  I  have 
"  heretofore  written  to  JMr. 
"  Langston,  to  acquaint  him 
"  with  her  majesty's  pleasure 
"  for  your  removing  from 
"  thence,  who  taketh  your 
"  being  there  offensively,  by 
"  what  occasions  I  know  not, 
"  neither    may  we    inquire  of 

"  those  matters." The 

writer  then  informs  him  that 
he  is  desirous  that  he  should 
"  answer  certain  books  of  the 
"  Jesuits;  the  Testament  they 
"  would  have  first  begun  withal ; 
"  the  order  to  be  this  in  your 
"  travail,  that  as  you  have 
"  done  and  finished  any  work 
"  to  send  it  over  hither  to  be 
"  seen  and  allowed  bv  the  best 
"  learned  of  both  the  universi- 
"  ties,  and  that  you   dedicate 


"  them  to  the  lord  treasurer, 
"  if  not  to  her  majesty,  joining 
"  to  the  lord  treasurer  whom 
"  you  best  like ;  and  that  way 
"  is  thought  best  to  make  an 
"  overture  for  your  future  fa- 
"  vour.  For  your  pains  you 
"  shall  be  allowed  100/.  by  the 

"  year And  if  you  will 

"  have  any  company  to  you  to 
"  help  you,  you  shall  have 
"  whom  you  will,  and  as  many 
"  as  you  Vv'ill,  and  they  like- 
"  wise  shall  have  good  allow- 
"  ance  made  them.  I  pray  you 
"  return  me  your  answer  by 
"  this  bearer,  that  in  both 
"  points  I  may  give  answer 
"  according  to  duty,  both  for 
"  her  majesty's  satisfaction  and 
"  for  this  good  work. . . .  From 
"  the  court  at  Greenwich,  this 
"5th  July,  1582."  See  fur- 
ther respecting  this  matter  in 
Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  253.] 

»  Camden's  Elizabeth,  anno 
1590. 


78  The  Church  History  uook  ix. 

A.  D.  1584.  letters  to  Cartwright  were  seconded  by  another  from 

27  Eliz 


the  doctors  and  heads  of  houses  (and  Dr.  Fulke 
amongst  the  rest)  at  Cambridge,  besides  the  impor- 
tunity of  the  ministers  of  London  and  Suffolk,  soli- 
citing him  to  the  same  purpose.  Hereupon  Cart- 
wright  buckled  himself  to  the  employment,  and  was 
very  forward  in  the  pursuance  thereof. 
Whitgift         17,  No  sooner  had  Whitdft  gotten  notice  what 

stoppeth  ^  00 

his  book.  Cartwright  M^as  a-writing,  but  presently  he  prohibited 
his  farther  proceeding  therein.  It  seems  Walsing- 
ham  was  secretary  of  state,  not  of  religion,  wherein 
the  archbishop  overpowered  him.  Many  commended 
his  care,  not  to  entrust  the  defence  of  the  doctrine 
of  England  to  a  pen  so  disaffected  to  the  discipline 
thereof ;  others  blamed  his  jealousy,  to  deprive  the 
church  of  so  learned  j^ains  of  him  whose  judgment 
would  so  solidly  and  affections  so  zealously  confute 
the  public  adversary.  Distasteful  passages,  (shooting 
at  Rome,  but  glancing  at  Canterbury,)  if  any  such 
were  found  in  his  book,  might  be  expunged,  whilst 
it  was  pity  so  good  fruit  should  be  blasted  in  the 
bud  for  some  bad  leaves  about  it.  Disheartened 
hereat,  Cartwright  desisted  ;  but  some  years  after, 
encouraged  by  an  honourable  lord,  resumed  the  work  ; 
but,  prevented  by  death,  perfected  no  further  than 
the  fifteenth  chapter  of  the  Revelation.  Many  years 
lay  this  worthy  work  neglected,  and  the  copy  thereof 
mouse-eaten  in  part,  whence  the  printer  excused 
some  defects  therein  in  his  edition,  which,  though  late, 
yet  at  last  came  forth,  anno  1618;  a  book  which, 
notwithstanding  the  foresaid  defects,  is  so  complete 
that  the  Rhemists  durst  never  return  the  least 
answer  thereunto. 

Dr.  Fulke        18.  Meantime,  whilst  Cartwright  his  refutation  of 

first  effect-  ° 

ed  it. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  79 

the  Rhemish  was  thus  retarded,  Dr.  William  Fiilke,  ^•^- '?^'*- 

'  27  Eliz. 

master  of  Pembroke  Hall  in  Cambridge,  entered  the 

list  against  them,  judiciously  and  learnedly  perform- 
ing his  undertaking  therein.  His  daughter,  and,  as 
I  take  it,  the  only  surviver  of  his  children,  lately  set 
forth  the  fourth  and  fairest  edition  of  this  his  Con- 
futation, and  dedicated  it  to  king  Charles  ^. 

19-  The  Rhemists  profess,  in  their  preface  to  the  a  promise 
New  Testament,  "  that  the  Old  Testament  also  lieth  fbi^ed.^^ 
"  by  them  for  lack  of  good  means  to  publish  the 
"  Avhole  in  such  sort  as  a  work  of  so  great  charge 
"  and  importance  requireth  ;"  which  seemeth  strange 
to  a  judicious  consideration,  for,  had  a  voluminous 
legend  of  saints'  lives  (with  pictures  as  costly  as 
superstitious)  been  to  be  set  forth,  a  mass,  a  mint,  a 
mine  of  money  could  easily  be  advanced  to  defray 
the  expenses  thereof.  Thus  papists  can  be  poor  or 
rich,  as  they  please  themselves.  Some  behold  this 
their  promise  to  set  forth  the  Old  Testament  as  not 
really  intended,  but  given  out  to  raise  men's  expec- 
tations, which  in  process  of  time  would  fall  of  itself, 
and  the  proffer  by  degrees  be  forgotten  ;  others  in- 
terpret their  resolutions  real,  but  purposely  revoked, 
seeing  the  ill  success  of  their  New  Testament,  so 
canvassed  and  confuted  by  the  protestant  divines. 
Perceiving  that  their  small  pinnace,  which  they  first 


o    [Dr.    Fulke,    master    of  on  the  Rliemish  Testament,  first 

Pembroke  Hall  in  Cambridge-  published     in     London     1580, 

shire,   completed    Cartwright's  whereof  the  fourth  edition  was 

Confutation  of  the   Rhemists'  published    in    1633.      He   also 

Translation,    which    had    been  answered  Dr.  Gregory  JMartin, 

left  unfinished,  adding  certain  a  Romanist  who  had  attacked 

chapters    in    the    Revelations,  the    English    version    of    the 

according  to  Strype,  Whitgift,  Scriptures.   See  Tanner's  Bibl. 

254.     He  was  also  the  author  p.  302,  and   Strype's  Annals, 

of  a   work  called  a  Comment  HI.  199.] 


80  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1584.  set  forth,  met  at  sea  with  such  boisterous  weather, 
— !!_  wisely   they  would   not   adventure  a  greater  vessel 


after  it ;  but  rather  left  it  to  rot  on  the  dock,  than 
they  would  launch  it  forth  in  such  danger.  A  third 
sort  beheld  this  their  promise  as  a  modest  and  man- 
nerly {alias  a  crafty  and  cunning)  begging  of  a  con- 
tribution of  the  catholic  party  for  setting  forth  of 
the  same,  which  never  as  yet  came  into  public  view. 
Yea,  the  Old  Testament,  some  said,  w^ould  be  old 
indeed  before  the  translation  thereof  in  Enolish  were 
by  them  set  forth  ;  insomuch  that  some  conceived  a 
lease  of  land,  till  this  their  promise  be  performed, 
almost  as  good  as  the  fee-simple  thereof. 
Confidence  20.  But  uow,  thougli  men  were  so  generally  con- 
lastde.'  fident  that  these  long-expected  Rhemish  notes  on 
ceived.  ^j^^  q|^I  Testament  would  not  come  forth  till  the 
Greek  Calends,  they  have  since  found  themselves 
deceived,  seeing  some  twenty  years  after  that  long- 
looked-for  work  crept  forth  into  the  world,  little 
notice  being  taken  thereof  by  the  protestants ;  partly 
because  no  great  eminency  therein  to  entitle  it  to 
their  perusal,  partly  because  that  moiety  of  the  Bible 
is  of  least  concernment  in  the  controversies  betwixt 
us  and  the  church  of  Rome. 
The  death       21.  \  find  uot  tliis  year  the  death  of  any  eminent 

of  George  . 

Etheredge.  English  protcstant  divine  p.  Amongst  the  papists 
George  Etheredge  departed  this  life,  much  lamented 
by  those  of  his  own  persuasion.  He  was  bachelor 
of  physic  in  Corpus  Christi  College  in  Oxford,  and 
king's  professor  of  Greek  in  that  university,  which 
place  he  quitted  at  the  coming  in  of  queen  Eliza- 


P   [According  to  Wood,  who     Ethercdj^e  in   his  Athen.  I.  p. 
has    given    some    account    of     237,  he  was  living  in  1588.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  81 

beth,   and   betook   himself  there   to   a   private  life.  a.  D.  1585. 

His  house  was  an  hospital  to  relieve  those   of  his — 

own  religion,  on  whom  he  expended  his  estate.  He 
was  one  of  the  primitive  catholics,  saith  my  author  ^^ 
persecuted  for  his  conscience.  As  he  started  soon, 
he  ran  along-  in  the  race  of  patience,  used  to  all  the 
gaols  in  Oxford  and  London  for  thirty  years  toge- 
ther ;  insomuch  that  he  professed  that  the  variety  of 
prisons  was  some  pleasure,  and  the  custom  of  durance 
had  made  fetters  to  be  freedom  unto  him. 

22.  This  year  came  forth  the  exposition  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Rogers  on  the  Articles  of  the  Church  of 
England,  which  at  first  met  not  with  that  welcome 
entertainment  which  seemed  due  to  his  endeavours ; 
for  besides  the  two  extremes  (papists  and  schisma- 
tics) highly  enraged,  many  protestants  of  a  middle 
temper  were  much  offended  thereat.  Some  con- 
ceived it  presumption  for  any  private  minister  to 
make  himself  the  mouth  of  the  church,  to  render 
her  sense  in  matters  of  so  high  concernment ;  others 
were  offended  that  his  interpretation  confined  the 
charitable  latitude  formerly  allowed  in  those  Articles, 
the  composers  whereof,  providently  foreseeing  that 
doctrinal  differences  Mould  inevitably  arise  in  so 
large  a  church  as  England  was,  even  betwixt  jDro- 
testants  agreeing  in  fundamentals  of  religion,  pur- 
posely couched  the  Articles  in  general  terms,  not 
that  falsehood  should  take  shelter  under  the  covert 
thereof,  but  to  include  all  such  dissenters  within  the 
comprehensiveness  of  the  expressions  ;  whereas  now 
Mr.  Rogers  his  restrictive  comment  shut  out  such 
from  their  concurrence  wdth  the  church  of  England, 

q  Pitz.  in  Vita,  p.  785. 

FULLER,    VOL.  V.  Q 


8^ 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IK. 


A.  D.  1585.  which  the  discreet  laxity  of  the  text  admitted  there- 

28  Eliz.  ,  1        .     ,  ,     . 

'. unto.     However,  the   worth   ot  the   work  in   some 

years  wrought  itself  into  good  esteem,  as  dedicated 

to  and  countenanced  by  the  archbishop,  though  the 

author  thereof  never  got  any  higher  preferment ''. 

'lliree  great        Qg 
corpora- 


Three  o-reat  societies  at  this  time  in  London 


'■  [Thomas  Rogers,  an  ex- 
cellent preacher,  born,  as  Wood 
thinks,  (Ath.  vol.  I.  400,)  in 
Cheshire,  and  entered  at  Ox- 
ford about  1 568,  obtained  a 
studentship  of  Christ  Church, 
and  took  the  degree  of  M.  A. 
1576.  He  was  chaplain  to 
archbishop  Bancroft,  and  held 
the  rectory  of  Horninger,  near 
Bury  St.  Edmund's,  Suffolk, 
where  he  is  supposed  to  have 
died,  and  to  have  been  buried 
in  the  chancel  of  that  church 
22nd  Feb.  1615-16.  His  book 
on  the  Articles  of  the  Church 
of  England  bears  this  title : 
"  The  Faith,  Doctrine,  and 
"  Religion  professed  and  pro- 
"  tected  in  the  Realm  of  Eng- 
"  land  and  Dominions  of  the 
"  same  ;  expressed  in  Thirty- 
''  nine  Articles  concordably 
"  agreed  upon  by  the  reverend 
"  Bishops  and  Clergy  of  this 
"  Kingdom,  at  two  several 
"  Meetings  or  Convocations  of 
"  theirs  in  the  years  of  our 
"Lord  1562  and  1604.  The 
"  said  Articles  analyzed  into 
"  Propositions,  and  the  Propo- 
"  sitions  proved  to  be  agreeable 
"  both  to  the  written  Word  of 
"  God  and  to  the  extant  Con- 
"  fessions  of  all  the  neighbour 
"  Churches  Christianly  re- 
"  formed.  The  Adversaries 
"  also  of  note  and  name  which 
''  from  tlie  Apostles'  days  and 


"  Primitive  Church  hitherto 
''  have  crossed  or  contradicted 
"  the  said  Articles  in  general, 
"  or  ;'.ny  particle  or  proposition 
"  arising  from  any  of  them  in 
"  particular,  hereby  are  disco- 
"  vered,  laid  open,  and  con- 
"  futed.  Perused  and  by  the 
"  lawful  authority  of  the  Church 
"  of  England  allowed  to  be 
"  public.  Rom.  xvi.  17,  / 
"  beseech  you,  &c.  London  : 
"  Printed  by  John  Legatt,  and 
"  are  to  be  sold  by  IMichael 
"  Sparke,  at  the  sign  of  the 
"  Blue  Bible  in  Green  Arbor, 
"  near  the  Little  Old  Bailey. 
"  1607."  The  work  passed 
through  several  editions,  but 
this  mentioned  by  Fuller  I 
have  never  seen  nor  been  able 
to  find  any  account  of  it.  The 
book  is  dedicated  to  archbishop 
Bancroft,  the  author  subscrili- 
ing  himself,  "At  Horninger, 
"  near  St.  Edmund's  Bury,  in 
"  Suffolk,  the  I  ith  of  March, 
"  1607.  Your  grace's  poor 
"  chaplain, always  to  command, 
"  Thomas  Rogers."  The  edi- 
tions of  this  book  previous  to 
1607  must  have  contained  much 
less  than  those  of  this  year, 
since  continual  reference  is 
made  to  points  as  low  down  as 
the  year  1603.  The  preface 
contains  much  curious  histo- 
rical information.] 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain. 


83 


were    busily   employed,   the    two    former    of    them  a.  0.158= 
avouched   by   law,   and   the    third   avouching  itself, '-^ 

,  tions  now 

namely,  01.  foot 

together. 


The  Parliament. 


The  Convocation. 


Begun  and  liolden 
at  Westminster  the 
twenty-third  day 
of  November  last  s, 
and  there  conti- 
nued till  the  twen- 
ty-ninth t)f  3Iarch 
following,  wherein 
the  statute  against 
Jesuits  and  priests 
their  departing  out 
and  not  coming  in- 
to the  realm,  was 
made,  with  penalty 
for  the  relieving 
them. 


Kept  in  St.  Paul's  in  Lon- 
don, beginning  with  a  most 
learned  Latin  sermon  t, 
preached  by  John  Copcot  u, 
doctor  of  divinity,  (after- 
wards master  of  Bennet  Col- 
lege in  Cainl)ridge,)  taking 
for  his  text  i  Tim.  vi.  13, 
Prcecipio  tibi  coram  Deo, 
&c.  Hence  the  convocation 
was  removed  to  the  collegiate 
church  of  St.  Peter's  in 
^Vestminster,  where  Dr. 
Goodman,  dean  thereof, 
made  a  solemn  protestation 
with  his  follow  prebeiirts  that 
the  said  meeting  ougiit  not 
to  be  j)rejudicial  to  the  pri- 
vileges of  his  chm'ch.  His 
protestation  was  accepted, 
and  assurance  given  that 
the  said  convocation  met  not 
there  in  any  manner  to  in- 
fringe their  immunities,  but 
only  for  the  maturation  of 
business  with  the  more  expe- 
dition through  the  conve- 
niency  of  the  place.  Wil- 
liam Redman,  doctor  of  divi- 
nity, archdeacon  of  Canter- 
bury, was  chosen  and  pre- 
sented prolocutor". 


The  Assembly  of 
Ministers. 


The  certain  place  of 
their  convening 
not  known,  being 
clandestine,  arbi- 
trary, and  change- 
able, as  advised  by 
tiieir  conveniences. 
They  are  better  dis- 
covered i)y  their 
moving  than  by 
their  meeting,  and 
their  practices  more 
conspicuous  than 
their  places.  Some 
agents  for  them 
were  all  day  at  the 
door  of  the  parlia- 
ment house,  and 
some  part  of  the 
night  in  the  cham- 
bers of  parliament 
men,  effectually  so- 
liciting their  busi- 
ness with  them. 


s  [i  584.  See  D'Ewes'  Jour- 
nal, p.  3 1 1 .] 

t  "  Venusta  et  eloquens  con- 
"  cio,"  saith  the  Register  of 
Canterbury,  out  of  which  I 
transcribed  it. 

w  [Of  Dr.  Copcot,  see  Hist, 
of  Univ.  of  Camb.  p.  148.  He 
was  chaplain  to  archbishop 
Whitgift,  and  a  strenuous  op- 


poser  of  the  puritans.  Strype's 
Life  of  "Whitgift,  p.  274.] 

"  [For  an  account  of  the 
proceedings  of  this  convoca- 
tion, see  Wilkins'  Cone.  IV.  p. 
306.  It  continued  till  Febru- 
ary uth,  1586.  In  the  earlier 
sessions  the  errors  of  Hilton, 
mentioned  at  §.  27,  were  con- 
demned.] 

G  2 


84 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


A.D.  li^Sv 

38  F-liz,.' 

The  arch- 
bishop, 
afraid  of 
alteration 
in  church 
discipHne, 
writes  to 
tiie  queen. 


24.  Wonder  not  if  archbishop  Whitgift  repaired 
seldom  to,  and  resided  but  a  short  time  in,  the  con- 
vocation, having  other  work  to  do  in  the  parliament, 
Avhere  what  impression  was  made  by  the  agents  of 
the  ministers  will  appear  by  his  ensuing  letter  to 
her  majesty  y : 

"  To  the  Queen's  most  excellent  Majesty. 

"  May  it  please  your  majesty  to  be  advertised, 
"  that  notwithstanding  the  charge  of  late  given  by 
"  your  highness  to  the  lower  house  of  parliament  for 
"  dealing  in  causes  of  the  church ;  albeit  also  ac- 
"  cording  to  your  majesty's  good  liking  we  have  set 
"  down  orders  for  the  admitting  of  meet  men  into 
"  the  ministry  hereafter,  yet  have  they  passed  a  bill 
"  in  the  house  yesterday  touching  that  matter,  which, 
"  besides  other  great  inconveniences,  (as  namely,  the 
"  trial  of  the  minister's  sufficiency  by  twelve  laymen, 
"  and  such-like,)  hath  this  also,  that  if  it  pass  by 
"  parliament  it  cannot  hereafter  but  in  parliament 
"  be  altered,  what  necessity  soever  shall  urge  there- 
"  unto  ;  which  I  am  persuaded  in  short  time  will 
*'  appear,  considering  the  multitude  of  livings  not  fit 
*'  for  men  so  qualified,  by  reason  of  the  smallness 
"  thereof.  Whereas  if  it  pass  but  as  a  canon  from 
"  us,  by  your  majesty's  authority,  it  may  be  observed 
"  or  altered  at  your  pleasure. 

"  They  have  also  passed  a  bill  giving  liberty  to 
"  marry  at  all  times   of  the  year,  without  restraint, 


y  Out  of  bishop  Wliitgift's  wood's,  and  since  in  my  own 
manuscript  of  his  own  Letters,  possession.  [Printed  also  in 
afterwards  in  sir   Peter  Man-     Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  198.]] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  85 

contrary  to  the   old   canons   contmually  observed  a.  d.  1585. 

,  .    .  ,  .    ,  -      -       28  Eliz. 

amongst  us,  and  contaninig  matter  whicli  tendeth 

*  to  the  slander  of  this  church,  as  having  hitherto 
'  maintained  an  error. 

"  There  is  likewise  now  in  hand,  in  the  same 
'  house,  a  bill  concerning  ecclesiastical  courts  and 
'  visitations  by  bishops,  which  may  reach  to  the 
'  overthrow  of  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  and  study 
'  of  the  civil  laws.  The  pretence  of  the  bill  is 
'  against  excessive  fees  and  exactions  in  ecclesias- 
'  tical  courts  ;  which  fees  are  none  other  than  have 
'  been  of  long  time  accustomed  to  be  taken,  the 
'  law  already  established  providing  a  sharp  and 
'  severe  punishment  for  such  as  shall  exceed  the 
^  same ;  besides  an  order  also,  which  we  at  this  pre- 
'  sent  have  taken  amongst  ourselves,  for  the  better 
'  performance  thereof. 

"  I  therefore  most  humbly  beseech  your  majesty 
'  to  continue  your  gracious  goodness  towards  us, 
'  who  with  all  humility  submit  ourselves  to  your 
'  highness,  and  cease  not  daily  to  pray  for  your 
'  happy  estate,  and  long  and  prosperous  reign  over 
'  us. 

["  From  Lambeth,  the  24th  of  March,  1584.] 

"  Your  Majesty's  chaplain,  and 

"  daily  orator  most  bounden, 
"  John  Cantuar." 

Thus  the  old  year  (on  the  last  day  whereof  this 
letter  was  dated)  ended  sadly  and  suspiciously  with 
the  prelates ;  but  the  next  year  began  cheerfully, 
and  presented  good  tidings  unto  them. 

25.  For  the  queen,  to  verify  her  motto,  sempernar \m. 
eadem,  and  to  disprove  that  inconstancy  generally ■^t2n(i' 

g3 


86  Tlie  Church  Histuri/  book  ix. 

AD  1585  charged   on   her  sex,  acquitted    herself  more   than 

— — '—  woman  in  her  masculine  resolutions,  and  nothing  of 

rial  to        moment    was    altered   in   church    discipline  ;    many 

vernmem.   things,  indeed,  were  offered  to  both  houses,  debated, 

agitated,  and,  as  it  seems,  passed  the  commons,  but 

nothing  in  fine  was  effected.     Thus  the  major  may 

propound  what  it  pleaseth,  and  the  minor  assume 

what  it  listeth ;  but  no  conclusive  argument  could 

then  be  framed  without  the  ergo  of  the  royal  assent, 

which   the   queen   refused   to  affix  to  any  material 

alteration  '■. 

Parliament      26.  And  a  fcw  days  after,  the  session  of  the  parlia- 

dissolved. 

ment  for  the  present  broke  off,  wherewith  ended  the 

assembly  of  the  ministers  ;  and  now  all  of  them  had 

leave  to  depart  to  their  own  homes,  otherwise  such 

members    thereof  as    formerly  went    away  without 

leave  were   obnoxious  to  censure :   witness  one  of 

them   in   his   ingenious  confession,   "  Touching  my 

"  departure  from  that  holy  assembly  without  leave, 

"  &c.,  I  crave  pardon  both  of  you  and  them,  &c. ; 

"  and  thus  commending  this  holy  cause  to  the  Lord 

"  himself,  and  your  godly  council  to  the  president 

"'  thereof,  I  take  my  leave  **." 

John  Hii-        27-  The  next  day  the  convocation  ended,  having 

vocation"  effected  nothing  of  moment,  save  that  in  the  ninth 

SshTre-     session  thereof  John  Hilton,  priest,  made  a  solemn 

ticai  opi-     abjuration  of  his  blasphemous  heresies,  accordiner  to 

the  tenor  ensuing  ^  : 

^  ^See  the  speech  she  made  tizing,  &c.  p.  75. 

to  the  parliament  at  the  close  ^   [See    the    proceedings  of 

of  the  session.     Strype's  Whit-  this    convocation    in    Strype's 

gift,  p.  199.]  Whitgift,  p.  210,  and  Wilkins' 

aMr.GelibrandtoMr.Field,  Cone.  IV.    p.  306.       The  ac- 

29th  Nov.  1  584,  cited  by  bishop  counts   of  these  writers   dift'er 

Bancroft  in  his  English  Scot-  slightly  from  that  of  Fuller.] 


nions. 


CENT.  XV I.  of' Britam.  87 

" /?2  Dei  nomine.  Amen.     Before  you,  most  reve--A-D.  1585- 

•'  28  Eliz. 

"  rend  father  in  God,  lord  John  archbishop  of  Can 

"  terbiiry,  primate  and  metropolitan  of  all  England, 
"  and  the  reverend  fathers  in  God,  the  bishops  of 
"  this  your  province  of  Canterbury,  here  congregated 
"  and  assembled  together  in  this  holy  synod  and 
"  convocation ;  I,  John  Hilton,  priest,  of  my  pure 
"  heart  and  free  will,  voluntarily  and  sincerely  know- 
"  ledge,  confess,  and  openly  recognise  that  in  times 
"  past  I  thought,  believed,  said,  held,  and  presump- 
"  tuously  affirmed  and  preached  the  errors,  heresies, 
"  blasphemies,  and  damnable  opinions  following, 
-''  &c."  '^ 

Here  he  distinctly  read  a  schedule  containing  his 
heresies,  (which  what  they  were  may  be  collected 
by  that  which  ensueth,)  and  then  proceeded  as  fol- 
io weth  : 

"  \^Tierefore  I,  the  said  John  Hilton,  detesting 
"  and  abhorring  all  and  every  such  my  said  heresies, 
"  blasphemies,  and  damned  opinions,  willing  and 
"  with  all  my  power  affecting  hereafter  firmly  to 
"  believe  in  the  true  and  perfect  faith  of  Christ  and 
"  his  holy  church,  purposing  to  follow  the  doctrine 
"  of  Christ  and  his  holy  apostles,  with  a  pure  and 
"  free  heart,  voluntary  mind,  will,  and  intent,  utterly 
"  forsake,  relinquish,  renounce,  and  despise  the  said 
"  detestable  errors,  heresies,  blasphemies,  and  abo- 
"  minable  o])inions. 

"  Granting  and  confessing  that  the  blessed  Trinity 
"  consisteth  in  three  distinct  persons  and  one  God- 


'^  This  was  by  me  faithfully  transcribed  out  of  the   Records 
of  Canterbury- 

G  4 


88  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A. D.  1585."  head:  as  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God 

28    I.liz.  ,  TT      1  /-. 

"  the  Holy  Ghost,  coequal  in  jiower  and  might. 

"  Secondly,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  both  God  and 
"  man,  and  my  Saviour  and  Redeemer,  and  of  all 
"  others  baptized  and  believing  in  Him ;  who  of  His 
"  Father  of  His  own  substance  in  His  humanity  was 
"  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  incarnate,  and  for 
"  our  redemption,  being  very  God,  became  man. 

"  And  that  by  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ  we  be 
"  not  only  made  partakers  of  His  testament,  and  so 
"  deduced  to  the  knowledge  of  His  godly  will  and 
"  power,  but  also  that  we  have  full  redemption  and 
"  remission  of  our  sins  in  His  blood. 

"  And  where  I  did  most  ungodly,  detestably,  and 
"  blasphemously  affirm  that  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
"  taments  were  fables,  now,  being  most  sorry  for 
"  that  abominable  and  damnable  assertion,  I  do  most 

"  humbly  and ^  believe  the  same  Testaments 

"  to  contain  all  truths  necessary  to  salvation,  and 
"  that  I  and  all  others  are  bound  to  believe  the 
"  same  as  the  undoubted  word  of  God,  and  that 
"  without  that  I  cannot  be  saved. 

"  And  therefore  the  said  errors,  blasphemies,  and 
"  all  other  heresies,  false  doctrines,  and  damned 
"  opinions  in  general,  contrary  and  repugnant  to 
"  the  faith  of  Christ,  I  utterly  abjure,  forsake,  and 
"  purely  renounce,  before  you,  most  reverend  father 
"  in  God,  and  the  rest  of  this  holy  synod  here 
"  assembled.  And  moreover  I  swear  by  this  holy 
"  evangelist,  by  me  here  bodily  touched,  that  from 
"  henceforth  I  shall  never  hold,  teach,  believe,  or 


''  Here  the  record  is  so   ill  written,  that   this  word  is  not 
legible. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  89 

"affirm    the    said    errors,   heresies,  blasphemies,  orA.D.  1.S85. 

"  clamned  opinions,  or  any  otlier  against,  contrary, 

"  or  repugnant  to  the  holy  faith  of  Christ's  church  ; 
"  nor  yet  shall  I,  by  myself  or  any  other  person, 
"  privately  or  apertly  defend,  maintain,  succour,  fa- 
"  vour,  or  support  any  person  that  to  my  knowledge 
"  holdeth,  believeth,  affirmeth,  or  teacheth  any  such 
"  heresies,  errors,  or  damned  opinions.  So  help  me 
"  God,  and  these  holy  evangelists.  In  witness 
"  whereof  to  this  my  present  abjuration  and  renun- 
"  ciation,  I  have  with  my  own  hand  voluntarily 
"  subscribed  my  proper  name. 

"  John  Hilton." 

28.  Upon  this  his  abjuration,  penance  was  imposed  Penance 
on  him,  first,  that  he  should  attend  at  Paul's  Cross  upon  him. 
upon  the  preacher,  Sunday  next,  all  the  time  of  the 
sermon,  and  there  penitently  stand  before  the  said 
preacher  with  a  fagot   on   his  shoulders  ;  secondly, 

that  he  should  not  preach,  minister  sacraments,  nor 
exercise  any  ecclesiastical  function  in  the  church, 
except  specially  licensed  by  the  archbishop  there- 
unto ;  thirdly,  that  he  should  recant  the  said  here- 
sies and  damnable  opinions  in  the  church  of  St. 
Martin's  in  the  Fields,  at  a  sermon  there  to  be  made 
by  the  archdeacon,  and  there  to  shew  himself  very 
penitent.  I  find  in  the  records  a  recognisance  of 
five  hundred  pounds  drawn  up  to  the  queen,  whereby 
the  said  Hilton  bound  himself  for  the  performance 
hereof;  but  because  the  rude  draught  of  the  bond 
is  crossed,  T  conceive  it  not  insisted  on,  and  (finding 
nothing  to  the  contrary)  presume  the  aforesaid 
penance  by  him  exactly  performed. 

29.  The  ministers  or  brethren,  now  missing  their  Exchange 

of  import- 


90  The  Church  Histori/  book  ix. 

A.D.  1585.  mark,  abated  much  of  their   former  activity,  iiiso- 

^miich  as  that   Mr.  Cartwright  (whom  I  conjecture 

betwixt  the  the  president  mentioned  in  the  last  assembly)  began 
celtefand  ^^  make,  by  the  mediation  of  the  earl  of  Leicester, 
the  arch-     /-^vho   uow   designed   him   master    of   his    new-built 

bishop.  ^  '-' 

hospital  in  Warwick,)  compliance  with  Whitgift  ; 
though  the  wary  archbishop,  not  over-fond  of  his 
friendship,  kept  him  at  distance,  as  these  two  letters 
here  inserted  will  sufficiently  inform  us  ^ : 

"  My  good  Lord  *, 

"  I  most  heartily  thank  you  for  your  favourable 
"  and  courteous  usage  of  INIr.  Cartwright,  who  hath 
"  so  exceeding  kindly  taken  it  also,  as  I  assure  your 
"  grace  he  cannot  speak  enough  of  it.  I  trust  it 
"  shall  do  him  a  great  deal  of  good.  And  he  pro- 
"  testeth  and  professeth  to  me  to  take  no  other 
"  course  but  to  the  drawing  of  all  men  to  the  unity 
"  of  the  church  ;  and  that  your  grace  hath  so  dealt 
"  with  him,  as  no  man  shall  so  command  him  and 
"  dispose  of  him  as  you  shall ;  and  doth  mean  to 
"  let  his  opinion  publickly  be  known,  even  in  the 
"  pulpit,  if  your  grace  so  permit  him,  what  he  him- 
"  self  will  and  would  all  others  should  do  for  obe- 


^  [Upon  Cartwright's  return  though  a  license  to  preach  was 
from  the  Low  Countries,  Avhere  still  refused  him.  Upon  this 
he  had  officiated  during  iive  occasion  these  letters  are  writ- 
years  to  some  English  facto-  ten,  which  are  in  part  printed 
ries,  officers  were  sent  to  ap-  in  Strype's  Whitgift,  p.  225. 
prehend  him  as  a  mover  of  Cartwright,  however,  was  a 
sedition  and  a  turbulent  per-  conformist  only  in  appearance, 
son.  During  his  confinement  See  Strype's  Annals,  III.  470.] 
the  archbishop  behaved  Avith  f  Taken  out  of  the  manu- 
mucb  kindness  to  him.  Upon  script  of  bishop  Whitgift's  Let- 
a  promise  to  conform,  it  is  pro-  ters,  belonging  to  sir  Peter 
bable  that  he  was  dismissed  by  IManwood,  and  since  in  my 
the  influence  of  the  archbishop,  possession. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  91 

"  dience  to  the  laws  established.     And  if  anv  little  a.  d.  1585. 

-  28  Eliz. 

"  scruple  be,  it  is  not  great,  and  easy  to  be  reformed 

"  by  your  grace,  whom  I  do  most  heartily  entreat 
'^  to  continue  your  favour  and  countenance  towards 
"  him,  ^vitll  such  access  sometimes  as  your  leisure 
"  may  permit ;  for  I  perceive  he  doth  much  desire 
"  and  crave  it. 

"  I  am  to  thank  your  grace  also  very  heartily  for 
"  Mr.  Fenne,  albeit  I  understand  he  is  something 
"  more  o])iniate  than  I  wish  him  ;  but  I  trust  he 
"  will  also  yield  to  all  reasons.  And  I  mean  to  deal 
"  with  the  bishop  of  Coventry  and  Lichfield  &,  to 
"  make  some  trial  of  him  ;  for  surely  he  is  an  honest 
"  man.  Thus,  my  good  lord,  praying  to  God  to 
"  bless  his  church,  and  to  make  his  servants  constant 
"  and  faithful,  I  bid  your  grace  farewell. 

"  At  the  court,  this  14th  July. 

"  Your  Grace's  very  assured  Friend, 

"  R.  Leicester." 

"  My  singular  good  Lord, 
"  Master  Cartwright  shall  be  welcome  to  me  at 
*'  all  times ;  and  using  himself  quietly  as  becometh 
"  him,  and  as  I  hope  he  will,  he  shall  find  me  willing 
"  to  do  him  any  good.  But  to  grant  unto  him  as 
"  yet  my  license  to  preach,  without  longer  trial,  I 
"  cannot,  especially  seeing  he  protesteth  himself  to 
"  be  of  the  same  mind  he  was  at  the  writing  of  his 
"  book,  for  the  matter  thereof,  though  not  for  the 
"  manner.  Myself  also,  I  thank  God,  not  altered  in 
"  any  point  by  me  set  down  to  the  contrary,  and 
"  knowing    many    things    to    be    very    dangerous  ; 

g  [William  Overton.] 


92  The  Chiirv.k  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1585."  wherefore  notwithstanding  I  am  content,  and  ready 

1-"  to   be   at   peace  with   him,   so  long-  as  he   livctli 

"  peaceably ;  yet  doth  my  conscience  and  duty  for- 
"  bid  me  to  give  unto  him  any  further  public  appro- 
"  bation,  until  I  be  better  persuaded  of  his  con- 
"  formity.  And  so,  being  bold  to  use  my  accustomed 
"  plainness  with  your  lordship,  I  commit  you  to  the 
"  tuition  of  Almighty  God,  this  17th  of  July,  1585. 

"  John  Cantuar." 

Seminaries       30.  Seminaries    and    priests    to    the    number    of 

and  trans-  thirty-two,  late  prisoners  in  the  Tower,  JVIarshalsea, 

ported.       King's    Bcuch,   and    other   places,   were    pardoned, 

enlarged,    and    transported    over    into     Normandy, 

though    occasionally   they  were   forced    to    land    at 

Boulogne  ^. 

31.  The  earl  of  Leicester,  who  hitherto  had  done 
but  little  good  in  England,  went  now  over  to  do  less 
in  the  Low  Countries,  commanding  a  great  army 
and  name,  with  the  illustrious  title  of  general  of  the 
auxiliaries  of  the  queen  of  England.  He  was  not 
so  much  pleased  with  his  place  there,  but  that  some 
of  his  back-friends  were  as  much  delighted  with  his 
room  here.  Meantime  the  ministers  lost  the  best 
stake  in  their  hedge,  in  his  absence,  their  patron 
paramount ;  for  though  by  letters  he  might  solicit 
their  cause,  yet  the  greatest  strength  is  not  so 
extensive  but  to  have  the  virtue  thereof  abated  at 
such  a  distance.  And  afterwards  it  fared  worse  with 
the  ministers,  when  Whitgift,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, was  sworn  of  the  privy  council,  (an  honour 
which  his  predecessor  Grindal  never  obtained,  yea, 

^   [See  Sanders,  De  Schismate  Angl.  p.  359.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Bntain.  93 

never  desired,)  by  the  procurement,  it  is  believed,  ofA.  0.1585. 

■,■,-,    -n  1  ,         •  28  Eliz. 

the  lord  Burghley  '.  

32.  Now,  for  the  present,  I  will  trouble  the  reader  The  Litur- 
no  longer  with  these  brawls  about  discipline;  only  ported  by 
one  story  must  not  be  omitted,  though  it  be  fathered  "^°^^°^^"' 
rather  on  public  report  than  fixed  on  any  particular 
author  in  those  days  avowing  the  same.    Some  com- 
plained against  the  Liturgy  to  the  lord  Burghley,  of 
whom    he    demanded    "  whether    they   desired    the 

"  taking  away  thereof?"  They  answered,  "  No  ;  but 
"  only  the  amendment  of  what  was  offensive  there- 
"  in."  He  required  them  to  make  a  better,  such 
as  they  would  have  settled  in  the  stead  thereof. 
Whereupon, 

The  first  classis  framed  a  new  one,  somewhat 
according  to  the  form  of  Geneva. 

The  second  classis,  disliking  it,  altered  it  in  six 
hundred  particulars  ^'. 

The  third  quarrelled  at  these  alterations,  and 
resolved  on  a  new  model. 

The  fourth  classis  dissented  from  the  former. 

Thus,  because  they  could  not  agree  amongst  them- 
selves, that  wise  statesman  put  them  off  for  the 
present,  until  they  should  present  him  a  pattern 
with  a  perfect  consent. 

33.  Three  i)rotestant  bishops  this  year  exchanged  Amisa- 

'  ^        ^  •'  °        tions  not  to 

this  life  for  another :  the  first  was  Richard  Curteys  S  be  believed 

in  full  lati- 
tude. 

i  [See  sir  G.  Paule's  Life  of  August,  1583,  according  to  the 

Whitgift,  §.57.   Strype'sWhit-  notes    in    the    new  edition    of 

gift,  p.  247.]  Godwin,   De  Pra?sul.  Angl.  p. 

^  See  theViewof  theNewDi-  513;  yet  Strype  fixes  his  death 

rectory,  [by  Dr.  H.  Hammond,]  (though  with  some  hesitation) 

printed  at  Oxford,  1645,  p. 3.  to27thFeb.  1584=  1585.    Life 

'  QHe  died  in  the  month  of  of  Whitgift,  p.  342.     Annals, 


94  The  ChurcJi  Hlstori/  book  ix. 

A.D.  1585.  (sometimes  fellow  of  St.  John's  in  Cambridge,)  bishop 

_: 1.  of  Chichester  ;    the    second,   Nicholas    Robinson  '", 

bishop  of  Bangor ;  and  John  Scory,  bishop  of  Here- 
ford. Of  the  two  former  we  have  not  enough  to 
furnish  out  their  character ;  of  the  latter  too  much, 
if  all  be  true  which  I  find  charged  upon  him.  Sure 
I  am  he  began  very  well,  being  an  exile  and  con- 
fessor in  the  days  of  queen  Mary,  but  is  accused 
afterwards  to  be  so  guilty  of  oppressions,  extortions, 
and  simonies,  that  a  bill  was  put  up  against  him  in 
the  Star-chamber,  containing  matter  enough  not 
only  to  disgrace,  but  degrade  him,  if  prosecuted. 
But  he  bought  out  his  innocence  with  his  money. 
Here  know  that  our  author ",  though  a  person  of 
wit  and  worship,  deriveth  his  intelligence  from  a 
French  writer  disaffected  in  religion,  and  therefore 
not  to  be  believed  in  full  latitude  when  calling  him 
Scoria,  or  dross,  in  allusion  to  his  name ;  but  as 
"  all  is  not  gold  that  glisters,"  all  is  not  dross  reputed 
so  by  our  popish  adversaries. 
The  death       34.  The  Same  year  also  John   Feckenham,  late 

of  John  111.       T  f. 

Fecken-      abbot  of  Westmnister,  ended  his  life ;  whereon  we 

bam. 

III.  331.     Probably  both  Ful-  Wood  places  his  death  a  year 

ler  and   Strype  had   no   other  earlier.     Athen.  I.  696.] 
reason    for  fixing   the  date   of         »  Sir  John  Harington,  Nu- 

his    death    so   low   than   from  gae,   II.   p.   176.     [Hence    the 

seeing  that  Bickley,  his  succes-  Romanists  said  of  him  that  he 

sor^  was  consecrated  in  1585.  professed  to  be  a  great  enemy 

Curteys   was   the  author   of  to     idolatry,    yet     in    another 

several  minor  pieces,  which  are  sense,    according    to   St.  Paul, 

mentioned  in  Wood's  account  he    became     a    worshipper    of 

of  him.     See  Athen.  I.  697.]  images,  not  saints,  but  angeh, 

'"    [He  was   domestic  chap-  alluding  to    the    coin   of   that 

lain  to  Matthew  Parker,  arch-  name.     Wood's  Athen.  I.  682. 

bishop  of  Canterbury,  who  has  Harington,  ib.     He  was,  appa- 

left  on   record   an   honourable  rently,  a  severe  antagonist  to 

testimony  in  his  favour.      See  the  papists.   See  Strype's  Ann. 

Antiq.  Brit.  p.  547.     Anthony  III.  328.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  95 

must  enlarge  ourselves,  if  not  for  his,  for  history'sA.  d.  1585. 

sake,  seeing  he  was  a  landmark  therein  ;  his  ]>ersonal '"' 

experience  being  a  chronicle,  who,  like  the  axletree, 
stood  firm  and  fixed  in  his  own  judgment,  whilst  the 
times,  like  the  wheels,  turned  backwards  and  for- 
wards round  about  him.  He  was  born  in  Worces- 
tershire, in  the  forest  of  Feckenham,  w^hence  he 
fetched  his  name  « ;  bred  a  Benedictine  monk  in  the 
abbey  of  Evesham,  where  he  subscribed,  with  the 
rest  of  his  order,  to  the  resignation  of  that  house 
into  the  hands  of  king  Henry  the  Eighth.  After- 
wards he  studied  in  Oxford  ;  then  applied  himself 
first  to  Bell,  bishop  of  Worcester,  and,  after  his 
death,  to  Bonner  of  London ;  where  he  crossed  the 
proverb,  "  Like  master,  like  man,"  the  patron  being 
cruel,  the  chaplain  kind,  to  such  who  in  judgment 
dissented  from  him.  He  never  dissembled  his  reli- 
gion, being  a  zealous  papist ;  and  under  king  Edward 
the  Sixth  suffered  much  for  his  conscience. 

35.  In  the  reign  of  queen  Mary  he  was  wholly  His  cour- 
employed  in  doing  good  offices  for  the  afflicted  pro- testants. 
testants,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  The  earl 
of  Bedford  p,  and  (who  afterwards  were)  of  Warwick^ 
and  Leicester '",  tasted  of  his  kindness  ;  so  did  sir 
John  Cheke  ;  yea,  and  the  lady  Elizabeth  herself,  so 
interposing  his  interest  with  queen  Mary  for  her 
enlargement  that  he  incurred  her  grace's  displeasure. 
Hence  it  is  that  papists  complain  that  in  the  reign 


o  [His  right  name,  however,  P  [Francis    Russell^   second 

was     Howman.      See   Wood's  earl.] 

Athen.  I.  23  1.     IMany  notices  Q   [Ambrose  Dndley,  created 

respecting  him   will  be   found  earl  of  Warwick  in  1567.] 

in  Reyner's  Historia  Benedict.  '   [Sir   Robert   Dudley,  cro- 

in  Anglia,  p.  233.]  ated  earl  of  Leicester  in  1563.] 


96  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.i:;85.  of  queen  Elizabeth  he  reaped  not  a  crop  of  courtesy 

proportionable  to  his  large  seed  thereof  in  the  days 

of  queen  Mary. 
Made  ab-        36.  Quecu  Mary  afterwards  preferred  him,  from 
AVestmin-   being  dean  of  Paul's,  to  be  abbot  of  Westminster, 
which  church  she   erected   and  endowed  for  Bene- 
dictine monks,  of  which  order  fourteen  only  could 
be  found  in  England  then  extant  since  their  disso- 
lution, which  were  unmarried,  unpreferred  to  cures, 
and  unaltered  in  their  opinions'*.     These  also  were 
brought  in,  with  some  difficulty  at  first,  and  oppo- 
sition ;   for  the  prebendai'ies  of  AVestminster,  legally 
settled  in  their  places,  would  not  resign  them  till 
cardinal   Pole,  partly  by  compulsion,  partly  by  com- 
pensation, obtained  their  removal. 
Queen  Eli-      gy    Quccu  Elizabeth,  coming  to  the  croMii,  sent 
sendeth  for  for  abbot   Feckcnham  to   come   to   her,  whom  the 

him  and  c  i  •  c      ^  •  ^  ^         t        i" 

proffers  messcuger  found  settmg  of  elms  m  the  orchard  oi 
mwi^*^  ^^'  Westminster  Abbey ;  but  he  would  not  follow  the 
messenger  till  first  he  had  finished  his  plantation, 
which  his  friends  im})ute  to  his  soul  employed  in 
mystical  meditations  *,  that  as  the  trees  he  there  set 
should  spring  and  sprout  many  years  after  his 
decease,  so  his  new  plantation  of  Benedictine  monks 
in  Westminster  should  take  root  and  flourish,  in 
defiance  of  all  opposition  ;  which  is  but  a  bold  con- 
jecture of  others  at  his  thoughts.  Sure  I  am  those 
monks  long  since  are  extirpated,  but  how  his  trees 
thrive  at  this  day  is  to  me  unknown.  Coming  after- 
wards to  the  queen,  AA'hat  discourse  passed  betwixt 
them  they  themselves  knew  alone :  some  have  con- 
fidently guessed  she  proffered  him  the  archbishopric 

"i  Sanders  de  Scliisinatc  Aug.  *  Reyni-ius  de  Aiitiq.  Bcncd. 

p.  259,  ed.  1588.  !>•  235." 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain.  97 


of  Canterbury  on  condition  he  would  conform  to  ^^^r  a^d.^i^s^Ss- 
laws,  which  he  utterly  refused.  

38.  In   the   treaty  between   the  protestants  andK'n'Hy 

•'  used  in  re- 

papists,  pri7no  ElizahethcE,  he  was  present,  but  instraint. 
what  capacity  I  cannot  satisfy  myself ;  surely  more 
than  a  disputant,  (amongst  whom  he  was  not  named,) 
yet  not  so  much  as  a  moderator ;  and  yet  his  judg- 
ment (perchance  because  abbot,  and  so  principal  man 
in  that  place)  was  asked  with  respect  and  heard  with 
reverence  ^  his  moderation  being  much  commended. 
Now  although  he  was  often  confined,  (sometimes  to 
the  Tower,  sometimes  to  friends'  houses  ^,  and  died, 
it  seems,  at  last,  in  restraint  in  Wisbich  Castle,) 
yet  generally  he  found  fair  usage  from  the  protest- 
ants. He  built  a  conduit  in  Holborn  and  a  cross 
in  Wisbich,  and  relieved  the  poor  wheresoever  he 
came ;  so  that  flies  flock  not  thicker  about  spilt  honey 
than  beggars  constantly  crowded  about  him  y. 

39.  Abbot  Feckenham  thus  being  dead,  the  Eng- a  recruit 

1  1  •    "f  English 

lish  Benedictines  beyond  the  seas  began  to  bestu- BeMedic- 
themselves,  as  they  were  concerned,  about  the  eon- Xr  Feck- 


en  ham's 

death. 


u  Fox,  Acts  and  Mon.  III.  "  to  all  things  saving  the  pre- 

[979'  ^^-l  "  ^^^^^  ^^'^  °"^  •'''  *^^°  Arti- 

>'  [At  first  he  was  committed  "  cles  more."    However,  Horn 

to   the    custody  of  Dr.  Good-  soon  became  weary  of  the  ab- 

man,  dean  of  Winchester  ;  but  bot,  and  some  controversy  arose 

afterwards,  tlirough  the  means  between   them.     See    Strype's 

of      bishop       Grindal,     trans-  Grindal,  79.] 
ferred  to  Horn,  bishop  of  Win-  Y    [A   very   interesting    and 

ton,    and    the    rather    because  detailed  account  of  FecKenham 

Grindal   had   heard   Horn   say  will  be  found  in  Reyner's  Hist. 

"  that  if  he  should  have  any,  Benedictinor.  p.  232,  sq.,  and 

"  he     could    best     deal     with  in  Wood's  Athen.  I.  221,  who 

"  Feckenham,  having  in  king  is  indebted  to  Reyner  for  most 

"  Edward's    days    taken   some  of   his   information   respecting 

"  pains  with  him  in  the  Tower,  Feckenham.] 
"  and  brought  him  to  sukscribe 

FULLER,   VOL.   V.  H 


98  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1585.  tinuation  of  their  order.     We  know  some  maintain, 

28  Eliz. 

that  if  any  one  species  or  kind  of  creatures  be  utterly 

extinct,  the  whole  universe,  by  sympathy  therewith, 
and  consciousness  of  its  own  imperfection,  will  be 
dissolved.  And  the  catholics  suspected  what  a  sad 
consequence  there  would  be  if  this  ancient  order 
of  English  black  monks  should  suffer  a  total  and 
final  defection.  The  best  was,  iinus  homo  nobis, 
there  was  one,  and  but  one,  monk  left,  namely, 
father  Sigebert  Buckley;  and  therefore,  before  his 
death,  provision  was  made  for  others  to  succeed  him; 
and  they,  for  fear  of  failing,  disposed  in  several 
countries  in  manner  following : 

In  Rome. 

i.  Father  Gregory  Sayer.  ii.  Father  Thomas 
Preston,  iii.  Father  Anselm,  of  Manchester,  iv. 
Father  Anthony  Martin,  commonly  called  Athana- 
sius. 

In  Valladolid  in  Spain. 

i.  Father  Austin  St.  John.  ii.  Father  John  Mer- 
vin.  iii.  Father  Mark  Lambert,  iv.  Father  Mau- 
rice Scot.     V.  Father  George  Jervis  ^. 

From    these    nine    new   Benedictines    the   whole 

order,  which  hung  formerly  on  a  single  string,  was 

then   replenished   to   a   competent,   and   since   to   a 

plentiful  number. 

English  pa-      40.  Hitherto    our  English   papists   affectionately 

tiii-y  fe/oflF  leaned  (not  to  say  fondly  doted)  on  the  queen  of 

qu'eeVof     Scots,  promising  themselves  great  matters  from  her 

Scots.         towards  the   jidvancing  of  their  religion ;   but  now 

2   Reynerus  de  Antiq.  Benedict,  p.  242. 


CENT,  XVI.  of  B?'itahi.  99 

they   began    to   fall    off  in    their   affections,   partly  a. d.  1585. 

because  beholding  her  a  confined  person,  (unable  to — - 

free  herself,  and  more  unlikely  to  help  others,) 
partly  because  all  catholics  come  off  with  loss  of  life 
which  practised  her  enlargement.  As  for  her  son, 
the  king  of  Scots,  from  whom  they  expected  a  set- 
tlement of  popery  in  that  land,  their  hopes  were 
lately  turned  into  despairs,  who  had  his  education  on 
contrary  principles. 

41.  Whereupon  hereafter  they  diverted  their  eyes  Unto  the 

king  of 

from  the  north  to  the  west,  expecting  (contrary  to  Spain. 
the  course  of  nature)  that  their  sun  should  rise 
therein,  in  magnifying  the  might  of  the  king  of 
Spain,  and  his  zeal  to  propagate  the  Roman  catholic 
faith.  And  this  was  the  practice  of  all  Jesuits,  to 
possess  their  English  proselytes  with  high  opinions 
of  the  Spanish  power,  as  the  nation  designed  by 
Divine  Providence  to  work  the  restitution  of  their 
religion  in  England. 

42.  In  order  hereunto,  and  to  hearten  their  coun-  Pretending 
trymen,  some  (for  it  appears   the  result   of  several  the  crown 
persons   employed   in    the    designing   and    effecting"     "^^" 
thereof)  drew  up  a  title  of  the  king  of  Spain's  to 

the  English  crown,  as  much  admired  by  their  own 
party  as  slighted  by  the  queen  and  her  loyal  subjects, 
for  being  full  of  falsehoods  and  forgeries.  Indeed  it 
is  easy  for  any  indifferent  herald  so  to  derive  a 
pedigree  as  in  some  seeming  probability  to  entitle 
any  prince  in  Christendom  to  any  principality  in 
Christendom  ;  but  such  will  shrink  on  serious  exa- 
mination. Yea,  I  believe  queen  Elizabeth  might 
pretend  a  better  title  to  the  kingdoms  of  Leon  and 
Castile  in  Spain  (as  descended  by  the  house  of  York, 
from  Edmund  earl  of  Cambridge  and  his  lady,  co- 

H  2 


100 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


A.D.  1585.  heir  to  king  Peter)  than  any  claim  that  the  king  of 

'-  Spain  could  make  out  to  the  kingdom  of  England. 

However  much  mischief  was  done  hereby,  many 
papists  paying  their  good  wishes  where  they  were 
not  due,  and  defrauding  the  queen,  their  true  cre- 
ditor, of  the  allegiance  belonging  unto  her. 

43.  Now  did  the  queen  summon  a  parliament  ^, 


An  act 
without 
precedent. 


^  [See  D'Ewes'  Journal,  jjp. 
375.  39'-  Strype's  Whitgift, 
p.  256.  Tlie  parliament  began 
on  the  29th  of  October,  1586, 
and  was  dissolved  on  the  23  rd 
of  March,  1587.  The  next 
parliament  began  on  the  4th  of 
February,  1589,  and  ended  on 
the  29th  of  March  the  same 
year.  "  This  new  parliament," 
says  D'Ewes,  "  assembled  on 
"  Saturday  the  29th  day  of 
"October,  1586,  immediate- 
"  ly  after  ensuing  ;  at  which 
"  time  the  queen  came  not  to 
"  the  upper  house  in  person, 
"  but  was  represented  by  three 
"  commissioners,  [viz.  the  arch- 
"  bishop,  the  lord  treasurer, 
*'  and  lord  steward,]  not,  as 
"  her  majesty  afterwards  pro- 
"  fessed,  because  she  feared 
"  the  violence  of  any  assassin, 
"  but  because  she  abhorred  to 
"  be  an  hearer  of  so  foul  and 
"  unnatural  a  conspiracy,  plot- 
"  ted  against  her  by  the  Scot- 
"  tish  queen,  a  kinswoman  so 
"  near  her  highness." 

But  as  to  the  quietness  of 
the  nonconformists,  Fuller  is 
much  mistaken  ;  for  during 
this  very  parliament  a  most 
strange  and  bigoted  motion 
was  made  by  one  of  their  or- 
gans. The  reader  shall  have 
it     in     D'Ewes'    own     words : 


The  same  day  [sc.  Monday, 
27th  Feb.  15 87]  Mr.  Cope, 
first  using  some  speeches 
touching  the  necessity  of  a 
learned  ministry  and  the 
amendment  of  things  amiss 
in  the  ecclesiastical  estate, 
offered  to  the  house  a  bill, 
and  a  book  written,  the  bill 
containing  a  petition  that  it 
might  be  enacted.  That  all 
laws  now  in  force  touch- 
ing ecclesiastical  government 
should  he  void  ;  and  that  it 
might  be  enactc !,  That  that 
Book  of  Common  Prayer  now 
offered,  and  none  other,  might 
be  received  into  the  church  to 
be  used.  The  book  contained 
the  form  of  prayer  and  ad- 
ministration of  sacraments, 
with  divers  rites  and  ceremo- 
nies to  be  used  in  the  church; 
and  desired  that  the  book 
might  be  read.  Whereupon 
Mr.  Speaker,  in  effect,  used 
this  .speech  :  '  For  that  her 
majesty  before  this  time  ht.d 
commanded  the  house  not  to 
meddle  with  this  matter,  and 
that  her  majesty  had  pro- 
mised to  take  order  in  those 
causes,  he  doubted  not  but 
to  the  good  satisfaction  of  all 
her  people ;  he  desired  that  it 
would  please  them  to  spare 
the  readiny;  of  it.     Not  with- 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  101 

wherein   her  majesty   appeared   not  in   person,  but  ad.  1587 

30   Eliz. 


])assecl  over  the  presidentship  of  that  her  great 
council  unto  John  Whitgift,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, William  Cecil,  lord  treasurer,  and  to  the  earl 
of  Derby  "^i  a  thing  done  without  precedent,  when 
the  king  at  home  and  in  health ;  but  the  pleasure 
of  so  powerful  a  princess  might  create  a  leading  case 
in  thing's  of  this  nature. 

44.  Wonder  not  if  the  nonconformists  were  very  Good  reason 
quiet  in  this  parliament,  beholding  the   archbishop  noncon- 

,  1      .  .1  •  j_  11  formists 

then*  great  adversary  m  so  great  power  and  place,  ^^eig  quiet. 
However  their  activity  in  the  next  will  make  their 
party  amends  for  their  stillness  in  this  session. 

45.  This  year  ended  the  doleful  life  of  a  distressed  The  death 
lady,  Mary  queen  of  Scots,  whose  trial  and   death  queen  of 
belono-eth    to    the    state   historian.     She   was   asjed  ^'^'^^^"'^* 
forty-six  years,  passing  the  last  twenty  in  imprison- 
ment ;  one  of  a  sharp  wit,  undaunted  spirit,  comely 
person,  beautiful  face,  majestic  j^resence :   one  rea- 
son why  queen  Elizabeth  declined  (what  the  other 

so  much  desired)  a  personal  conference  with  her,  as 


"  standing    the   house   desired  "  would    bring    her    majesty's 

"  the  reading  of  it.     Where-  "  indignation  against  the  house 

"  upon    Mr.    Speaker    willed  "  thus  to  enterprise  the  deal- 

"  the   clerk   to   read  it.     And  "  ing  with  those  things  which 

"  the  Court  being  ready  to  read  "her    majesty    especially    had 

"  it,  Mr.  Dalton  made  a  mo-  "  taken   into   her   own   charge 

"  tion   against   the  reading  of  "  and   direction.      Whereupon 

"it,   saying    that    it    was    not  "  Mr.  Lewknor  spake,  shewing 

"  meet  to  be  read,  and  that  it  "  the    necessity    of    preaching 

"  did   appoint   a   new  form  of  "  and  of   a    learned   ministry, 

"  adminisl ration  of  the  .sacra-  "  and  thought  it  very  tit  that 

"  mcnts  and  ceremonies  of  the  "  the    petition    and   the    book 

"  church,  to  the  discredit  of  the  "should    be   read."     D'Ewes' 

"Book    of    Common    Prayer,  Journals,  p.  410.] 

"  and  of  the  whole  state  ;   aiul  ^   [Henry  Stanley.] 
"  thought    that     this    dealing 

H  3 


102  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

AD.  1587. unwilling  to  be  either  outshone  or  even-shone  in 
•^°  her  o^vn  hemisphere.     For  her  morals,  the  belief  of 

moderate  men  embraceth  a  middle  course  betwixt 
Buchanan  his  aspersing  and  Causinus  his  hyperbo- 
lical commending  her,  because  zealous  in  his  own 
religion. 

Her  poetry.  46.  She  was  an  excellent  poet,  both  Latin  and 
English ;  of  the  former  I  have  read  a  distich  made 
and  written  by  her  own  hand  on  a  pane  of  glass  at 
Buxton  Well  : 

"  Buxtona  qucF  calidw  celehraris  ^  nomine  lymphce, 
"  Forte  mihi  posthac  non  adeunda,  vale.'''' 

"  Buxton,  who  dost  with  waters  warm  excel, 
"  By  me,  perchance,  never  more  seen,  farewell !" 

And  at  Fotheringhay  Castle  I  have  read,  written  by 
her  in  a  window  with  a  pointed  diamond, 

"  From  the  top  of  all  my  trust, 

"  Mishap  hath  laid  me  in  the  dust." 

But  her  adversaries  conceive,  had  she  not  been  laid 
there,  the  happiness  of  England  had  been  prostrated 
in  the  same  place.     She  Avas  buried  in  the  quire  of 
/    Peterborough,  and  doctor  Wickham,  bishop  of  Lin- 
'     coin,    preached    her    fimeral     sermon*^,    causelessly 
carped  at  by  the  Martin  Mar-prelate,  as  too  favour- 
able concernmg  her  final  condition,  though  he  uttered 
nothing  inconsistent  with  charity  and  Christian  dis- 
cretion. 
Her  body        47.  Some  twenty  years  after,  king  James  caused 

removed  to 
W'estmin- 

c  So  it  is  in  the  glass  I  liad  d     j^See     Guntoii's    History 

in  my  hand,  though  it  be  cele-  of  Peterborough,    and  Wood's 

hrabcre  in  Camd.  Brit,  in  Der-  Athen.  I.  712.] 
byshiie. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  103 

her  corpse  to  be  solemnly  removed  from  Peterbo-A.D.  1587. 
rough  to  Westminster,  where,  in  the  south  side  of-:^ — ^— 1- 
the  chapel  of  king  Henry  the  Seventh,  he  erected  a 
stately  monument  to  her  memory,  and  thereon  this 
epitaph,  wherein  such  cannot  but  commend  the 
piety  of  her  son  who  will  not  believe  all  the  praises 
of  his  mother : 

"  D.  O.  M. 

"  Marire  Stuartse,  Scotorum  Regina^,  Franciae  Do- 
"  tarias,  Jacobi  V.  Scotorum  Regis  Filial  et  Ha^redis 
"  miicse,  Henrici  VII.  Ang.  Regis  ex  Margareta 
"  majori  Natu  Filia  (Jacobi  IIII.  Regi  Scotorum 
"  matrimonio  copulata)  proneptis,  Edwardi  IIII. 
"  Anglian  Regis  ex  Elizabetha  Filiarum  natu  maxima 
"  abneptis,  Francisci  II.  Gallorum  Regis  conjugis, 
"  Coronse  Angliae,  dum  vixit,  certae  et  indubitatae 
"  hseredis,  et  Jacobi  magnse  Britanniae  monarcha? 
"  potentissimi  matris. 

"  Stirpe  vere  regia  et  antiquissima  prognata  erat, 
"  maximis  totius  Europa^  principibus  agnatione  et 
"  cognatione  conjuncta,  et  exquisitissimis  animi  et 
"  corporis  dotibus  et  ornamentis  cumulatissima.  Ve- 
"  rum,  ut  sunt  variae  rerum  humanarum  vices,  post- 
"  quam  annos  plus  minus  viginti  in  custodia  detenta, 
"  fortiter  et  strenue,  (sed  frustra,)  cum  malevolorum 
"  obtrectationibus,  timidorum  suspicionibus,  et  ini- 
"  micorum  capitalium  insidiis  conflictata  esset ;  tan- 
"  dem  inaudito  et  infesto  Regibus  exemplo  securi 
"  percutitur. 

"  Et  contempto  mundo,  devicta  morte,  lassato 
"  carnifice,  Christo  Servatori  animal  salutem,  Ja- 
"  cobo  Filio  spem  regni  et  posteritatis,  et  universis 
"  caedis  infaustae  spectatoribus  exempium  patientiae 

H  4 


104  The  Church  History  book  ix, 

A.  D.  1587. "  commeiidaiis,  pie  et   intrepide    Cervicem    regiam 

30  Eliz, 


'*  securi  maledictse  subjecit,  et  vitae  caducae  sortem 
"  cum  ccelestis  regni  pereimitate  commutavit." 

Besides  this,  there  is  a  long  inscription  in  verses, 
one  distich  whereof  I  remember,  because  it  is  the 
same  in  effect  with  wliat  was  made  of  Maud  the 
empress. 

On  Maud. 

"  Magna  ortu,  majorque  viro,  sed  maxima  2>artu, 
"■  Hicjacet  Henrici  filia.,  sponsa,  paresis. '''' 

On  Queen  Mary. 

"  Magna  mro^  major  natu,  sed  maxima  parUi., 
"  Conditur  hie  regis  filia,  sponsa,  parens  e.'" 

So  that  it  is  no  disgrace  for  a  queen  to  wear  part 
of  an  epitaph  at  the  second  hand,  with  some  httle 
alteration. 
A  design         48.  About  tliis  time  it  was  that  some  privy  coun- 

propound- 

ed;  cillors  eudeavoured  to  persuade  queen  Elizabeth  to 

raise  and  foment  a  difference  betwixt  the  pope  and 
king  of  Spain,  and  to  assist  the  foi-mer  (not  as  pope, 
but  temporal  prince)  by  her  shipping  to  regain 
Naples,  detained  from  him  by  the  Spanish  king. 
They  alleged  the  design  advantageous,  to  work  a 
diversion  of  Spanish  forces,  and  prevent  an  invasion 
of  her  own  land. 


«  [These  are  two  of  the  con-  rey's  Poems,  p.  47 3.  4to.  Lond. 

eluding  verses  of  Henry  earl  of  1815.      But    both    the    prose 

Northampton's  exquisite  elegy  inscription  and  the  verses  vary 

upon  ]Mary  queen  of  Scots,  a  much  from  the  copies  printed 

correct  copy  of  which  is  printed  by  Fuller.] 
in  Dr.  Nott's  edition  of  Sur- 


€ENT,  XVI.  of  Britain.  105 

49.   But    her   majesty   would    uot   listen    to    the  a.  d.  1587. 
motion  to  entertain  compliance  in  any  capacity  on    ' 


any  conditions  with  the   pope,  as  dishonourable  ineai.ythe 
herself,  distasteful  to   the    protestant    princes ;    nor  '^"^*^"' 
would   she   touch   pitch   in  jest,   for  fear   of  being 
defiled   in   earnest,  but   crushed   the  design  in  the 
birth  thereof. 

50.  A  first  onset  was  now  made  by  the  noncon-^°"/"™"'y 

*'  to  the 

formists  against  the  hierarchy ;  though  the  more  height. 
they  opposed  it,  the  more  the  queen  did  countenance 
their  persons  and  preserve  their  power ;  insomuch 
that  she  would  not  in  Lent  feed  on  any  fish,  as  for- 
bidden by  the  canons  of  the  church,  until  she  had 
first  attained  a  solemn  license  from  the  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  and  every  year  of  her  life  renewed 
the  same  ^. 

51.  The  power  of  the  high  commission  began 
now  to  extend  far,  and  penalties  to  fall  heavy  on 
offenders.  Whereupon  the  favourers  of  the  noncon- 
formists much  opposed  it  in  their  printed  books, 
some  questioning  the  court  as  not  warranted  by  law, 
others  taxing  their  proceedings  as  exceeding  their 
commission.  But  hear  their  arguments  on  both 
sides : 

Against  the  High  Com-  For  the  High  Commission, 

mission. 

It  is  pretended  founded  The  words  in  the  statute  run 

on  the  statute  pH  wo  AVi-     thus:  "They   shall    have    full 

f  Camden's  Eliz.  Manuscript,  in    this    respect.      Generally, 

shortly    likely   to    be    printed,  also,    such     dispensations     for 

[Since  printed  ;  which  see,  in  eating  meat   were  granted   on 

the  year  1587.    This  was  usual  condition  of  certain  sums  being 

in  this  reign,  no  persons  of  any  ])aid  to  the  poor.    See  Strype's 

seriousness  attempting  to  vio-  Whitgift,  p.  246.] 
late  the  directions  of  the  church 


106 


A.D.  1587.   Against  the  High  Com 
30  EHz.  mission. 


The  Church  History  book  ix. 

For  the  High  Commission. 


zabethoE,  wherein  the  par- 
liament empowered  the 
queen  by  her  letters  pa- 
tents to  appoint  commis- 
sioners to  punish  offenders 
in  ecclesiastical  causes. 
But  no  mention  therein 
of  temporal  penalties,  and 
therefore  the  commission- 
ers are  to  confine  them- 
selves to  church  censures, 
by  excommunicating,  &c., 
illegally  inflicting  any 
other  punishments. 

Such  commissioners 
proceeding  against  of- 
fenders by  attachment, 
fine,  or  imprisonment,  are 
contrary  to  the  express 
words  of  Charta  Magna, 
providing  '•'  that  no  free 
"  man  shall  be  taken  or 
"  imprisoned,  or  be  dis- 
"  seised  of  his  freehold 
"  and  liberty,  and  but  by 
"  the  lawful  judgment  of 
"  his  peers,  or  of  the  law 
"  of  the  land." 


Their  whole  commis- 
sion is  void  in  law,  be- 
cause it  bearcth  date  in 
July,  but  was  not  signed 
till  November  next  after, 


"  power  and  authority,  by  vir- 
"  tue  of  this  act,  and  of  the 
"  letters  patents  under  your 
"  highness,  your  heirs  and  suc- 
"  cessors,  to  exercise,  use,  exe- 
"  cute  all  the  premises  accord- 
"  ing  to  the  tenor  and  effect  of 
"  the  said  letters  patents,  any 
"  matter  or  cause  to  the  con- 
"  trary  in  any  wise  notwith- 
"  standing."  Now  their  letters 
patents  enable  them  to  attach, 
fine,  or  imprison,  &c. ;  in  doing 
whereof  they  are  sufficiently 
empowered  by  the  commission. 

When  Charta  Magna  was 
made,  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction, 
though  it  was  de  jure,  it  was 
not  de  facto,  in  the  king; 
whereby  it  plainly  appears  that 
those  words  related  not  to  the 
ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  but 
only  to  crimes  belonging  to  the 
common  law.  But  since  the 
parliament  hath  declared  ec- 
clesiastical jurisdiction  in  the 
queen,  the  ecclesiastical  persons 
might  impose  such  penalties, 
even  to  the  condemnino;  of 
heretics,  though  never  tried  by 
a  jury. 

It  appeareth  by  the  preamble 
of  that  statute,  that  the  words 
cannot  be  stretched  to  letters 
patents  of  that  nature,  but  be- 
long only  to   such  ;  to  private 


CENT.  XVI. 


(yf'  Britain. 


107 


Against  the  High  Com- 
mission. 


For  the  High  Commission.     A.D.  1587. 

30  Eliz. 


contrary    to    the    statute,  persons,    wherein   grantees   are 

which  enjoineth   that  let-  unjustly  expelled   out  of  their 

ters  patents   "  should  be  right   by   colour  of  letters  pa- 

"  dated  the  day  of  their  tents  bearing  an  elder  dates. 
"  delivery  intoChancery," 
or  else  they  shall  be  void. 

But  the  most  general  exception  against  the  high 
commission  was  this  :  that  proceeding,  ex  officio 
mero,  by  way  of  inquiry  against  such  whom  they 
pleased  to  suspect,  they  tendered  unto  them  an  oath, 
which  was  conceived  unjust,  that  in  cases  criminal 
a  party  should  be  forced  to  discover  what  might  be 
penal  to  himself;  the  lawfulness  of  which  oath  was 
learnedly  canvassed  with  arguments  on  both  sides. 

Against  the  Oath  ex  For  the  Oath  ex  officio, 

officio. 

The  common  laws  have  It  is  true,  to  give  this  oath 

ever     rejected     and     im-  to  the  defendant  in   causes  of 

pugned   it,   never  put   in  life  and  death  is  contrary  to  the 

ure    by   any   civil    magis-  justice  of  the  land  ;  but  where 

trate  in  the  land,  but  as  life  or  limb  is  not  concerned,  it 

it   is   corruptly    crept    in  is  usually  tendered  in  chancery, 

amongst  other  abuses  by  court    of   requests,    council    of 


^  [Upon  this  subject  gene- 
rally, see  a  treatise  entitled 
"  An  Apology  for  sundry  Pro- 
"  ceediiigs  by  Jurisdiction  Ec- 
"  clesiasticalj  of  late  times  by 
"  some  challenged,  and  also 
"  directly  by  them  impugned." 
4to.  1593.  Supposed  to  have 
been  written  by  Dr.  Richard 
Cosin,  vicar-general  to  arch- 
bishop Whitgift ;  of  which  book, 


and  the  arguments  against  the 
oath  ex  officio,  which  it  was  in- 
tended to  answer,  a  detailed  ac- 
count will  be  found  in  Strype's 
Whitgift,  p.  338.  One  of  the 
most  valuable  pamphlets  on 
the  subject  was  written  by  Ed- 
ward Lake,  chancellor  to  the 
bishop  of  Lincoln  ;  of  whom, 
see  Wood's  Athen.  IL  323.] 


108 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   IX. 


A.  D.  1587. 
30  Eliz. 


Against  the  Oath  ex 
officio. 


For  the  Oath  ew  officio. 


the  sinister  practices  and 
pretences  of  the  Romish 
prelates  and  clergymen. 
And  where  loss  of  life, 
liberty,  or  good  name, 
may  ensue,  the  common 
law  hath  forbidden  such 
oath. 


It  is  contrary  to  the 
fundamental  law  of  li- 
berty, nemo  tenetur  seip- 
sum  prodere. 


It  appeareth  by  the 
lord  Dyer's  book  that  one 
Hynde,  called  before  the 
commissioners   ecclesiasti- 


marches,  and  council  in  the 
north,  yea,  in  other  courts  of 
record  at  Westminster;  where 
the  judges  (time  out  of  mind) 
by  corporal  oath  did  examine 
any  person  whom,  in  discretion, 
they  suspected  to  have  dealt 
lewdly  about  any  writ,  return, 
entry  of  rule,  pleading,  or  any 
such-like  matter,  not  being  ca- 
pital. 

It  is  granted,  but  withal  pro- 
ditus  per  denuntiationem,  fa- 
mam,  &c.  tenehir  seipsum  offen- 
der e.  Some  faults  are  simply 
secret,  no  way  bruited  or  pub- 
lished abroad  ;  in  which  cases 
the  person  guilty  is  not  bound 
to  make  confession  thereof, 
though  urged  on  his  oath  to 
any  officer  civil  or  ecclesiastical. 
But  if  once  discovery  be  made 
by  presentment,  denunciation, 
fame,  &c.  according  to  law, 
then  is  not  tiie  fault  merely 
secret,  but  revealed  in  some 
sort  to  the  magistrate,  or  abroad, 
who  for  avoiding  scandal  to 
Christian  religion,  and  reforma- 
tion of  the  party,  may  thus  in- 
quire of  the  offence,  to  see  it 
redressed  and  punished. 

There  is  no  such  report  in 
the  lord  Dyer  ;  all  that  is  ex- 
tant is  only  this  marginal  note 
upon  Skrogg's  his  case  in  Mi- 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain. 


109 


Against  the  Oath  ex 
officio. 


For  the  Oath  ex  officio. 


A.D.  15S7. 
30  Eliz. 


cal  for  usury,  refused  to 
swear;  whereupon  he  was 
committed.  But  upon  an 
information  in  the  Com- 
mon Pleas,  he  had  a  cor- 
pus cum  causa,  to  remove 
him  ;  so,  as  it  seemeth, 
the  judges  were  then  of 
opinion  that  the  commis- 
sioners could  not  give  him 
such  an  oath. 

Though  such  proceed- 
ings ex  officio  were  prac- 
tised by  the  popish  pre- 
lates against  the  saints 
and  servants  of  God,  yet 
it  was  never  used  by  pro- 
testants  in  their  ecclesias- 
tical censures. 


The  justice  of  the  land 
detesteth  that  the  judge 
should  himself  be  an  ac- 
cuser, (for  by  law  no  man 
may  be  accuser  and  wit- 
ness, indicter   and  juror. 


chaclmas  Term,  18th  of  Eliza- 
beth :  Simile  M.  iS.Jhl.  per 
Hynde  qtii  noluit  jurare  coram 
justiciariis  ecclesiasticis,  super 
articulos  pro  usura.  Which 
seems  added  by  some  unskilful 
person,  it  being  improbable  so 
learned  a  judge  would  have 
termed  the  commissionersj«.s^i- 
ciarios  ecclesiasticos .  Besides, 
this  cause  of  Hynde  can  no- 
where else  be  found. 

Certain  commissioners  (where- 
of some  bishops,  some  privy 
counsellors,  some  civilians,  and 
some  judges  and  common  law- 
yers) in  the  reign  of  king  Ed- 
ward the  Sixth  charged  bishop 
Bonner  with  a  corporal  oath  ex 
officio,  to  answer  to  questions 
ministered  unto  him  ;  and  for 
refusal  he  was  pronounced  con- 
tumacious i.  The  like  oath  in 
matter  criminal  and  penal  was 
tendered  to  Stephen  Gardiner  i^, 
as  appeareth  by  the  sentence  of 
his  deprivation  of  the  bishopric 
of  Winchester. 

The  laws  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical hold  not  the  judge  pro- 
ceeding of  office  to  be  an  ac- 
cuser ;  but  that  whereupon  the 
inquiry  is  grounded  to  repre- 
sent the  accusation. 


i  Fox,  &c.  II.  p.  681,  694.  k  Fox,  .S:c.  II.  p.  738. 


110 


The  Church  History 


llOOK  IX. 


A.  D.  1587. 
30  Eliz. 


Against  the  Oath  ex 


P\)r  the  Oath  ex  officio. 


officio. 

therefore  much  less  judge 
and  accuser,)  which  not- 
withstanding; he  is  that 
tendereth  the  oath  ex 
officio. 

Even  the  heathen  Ro- 
mans were  so  Christian, 
that  by  ancient  custom  no 
vestal  virgin  or  flamen  of 
Jupiter '  was  restrained  to 
swear,  whereof  Plutarch  '" 
rendereth  three  reasons : 
first,  because  an  oath  is  a 
kind  of  torture  to  a  free 
man  ;  secondly,  it  is  ab- 
surd, in  smaller  matters, 
not  to  credit  their  words^ 
who  in  higher  matters, 
touching  God,  are  be- 
lieved ;  thirdly,  an  oath, 
in  case  they  were  fore- 
sworn, draweth  a  curse  on 
them,  a  detestable  omina- 
tion  towards  the  priests  of 
God.  And  why  may  not 
as  much  be  allowed  to  the 
true  ministers  of  the  gos- 
pel ? 

The  scripture,  which 
ought  to  be  the  rule  of 
our  actions,  affords  neither 
precepts  nor  precedent  of 
such  proceedings,  where 
witnesses  were  produced. 


By  the  granting  of  this  pecu- 
liar privilege  to  these  persons, 
it  plainly  apjaeareth  that  all 
others  might  by  magistrates  be 
put  to  their  oaths.  Besides, 
such  were  superstitiously  freed 
from  swearing  absolutely,  and 
not  only  in  matters  criminal, 
here  controverted  ;  an  unrea- 
sonable immunity,  which  none 
will  challenge  to  themselves. 


It  is  not  necessary  that  a  po- 
sitive or  affirmative  warrant  be 
cited  out  of  scripture  for  all  our 
practices  :  sufticeth  it  that  may 
be  done  which  is  not  contrary 
to  God's  word  and  conformable 


I  Gellius,  lib.  x.  cap.  15. 


">  Plutarch,  Problems,  43. 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain. 


Ill 


Against  the  Oath  ex 

officio. 

and  the  accusers  brought 
face  to  face. 


For  the  Oath  ex  officio. 


A.D.  1587. 

30  Eliz. 


William  Tindal,  a  wor- 
thy martyr,  in  his  Com- 
ment on  the  fifth  of  Mat- 
thew °,  saith  plainly,  that 
"  a  judge  ought  not  to 
"  compel  a  man  to  swear 
"  against  himself."" 

No  protestant  church 
beyond  the  seas  hath 
made  use  of  such  tyran- 
nical proceedings. 


to  the  politic  laws  of  the  land. 
Yet  have  we  some  footsteps  of 
inquiry  in  the  judicial  law. 
When  one  was  found  secretly 
murdered  in  the  field,  and  the 
murderer  neither  known  nor 
suspected,  the  elders  of  the  next 
city  (of  whose  guiltiness  there 
was  no  detection  nor  cause  of 
presumption,  save  only  the 
vicinage  and  nearness  of  the 
place)  were  solemnly  and  se- 
cretly to  swear  before  the 
priest  1,  conceptis  verbis.,  that 
their  hands  had  not  shed  this 
blood,  &c.  If  this  was  equal 
in  matters  capital,  how  can  it 
be  challenged  for  tyrannical  in 
matters  criminal .'' 

Allowing  all  due  respect  to 
TindaPs  memory,  his  judgment 
much  failed  him  in  matters  of 
oaths ;  for  in  the  following 
words  he  taketh  away  all  ne- 
cessary oaths,  and  leaveth  none 
but  voluntary,  which  no  wise 
man  will  defend. 

Even  Geneva  itself  doth 
sometimes  proceed  by  oaths  ex 
officio  against  such  suspected 
offenders,  as  in  the  two  follow- 
ing cases  will  appear. 


"  Deut.  xxi.  7. 


o  P.  208. 


112  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A. D.  1587.      There    was    one    Cumperel    of   Geneva    ordained 

-^ minister  for  a  parish  in  that  territory,  called  Dral- 

lian,  who  had  a  secret  design  under  hand  to  place 
himself  in  the  state  of  Berne,  which  in  him  was 
esteemed  a  heinous  fault.  The  consistory,  coming 
at  some  notice  hereof,  ministered  unto  him  an  oath 
of  mere  office  to  answer  to  several  questions.  But 
because  Cumperel  answered  not  directly  to  those 
interrogatories  (two  whereof  concerned  the  very 
cogitations  of  his  heart,)  and  because  there  were 
xieliementia  judicia,  great  presumption  in  the  com- 
mon fame,  the  consistory  pronounced  that  they  had 
just  cause  to  depose  him  from  his  ministry  p. 
A  memo-  52.  There  was  a  wealthy  widow  living  in  Geneva, 
in  Geneva.  Called  Balthazar,  in  M'hose  house  there  was  a  dancing 
held,  which  is  a  grievous  crime  in  that  church,  and 
condemned  by  their  last  form  of  discipline.  Amongst 
these  dancers  one  was  a  syndic,  (one  of  the  four 
chief  magistrates  of  the  city,)  the  other  an  elder 
(Henrich  by  name)  of  the  church  for  that  year. 
The  matter  coming  to  Calvin's  ear,  they  were  all 
convented  before  the  consistory,  without  any  accuser 
or  party,  and  therefore  of  mere  office  put  to  their 
corporal  oaths  to  confess  the  truth.  The  elder 
pleaded  for  himself  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  receive 
not  an  accusation  against  an  elder  under  two  or  three 
witnesses  *i ;  which  would  nothing  bestead  him,  so 
that  he  was  deposed  from  his  eldership,  and  the 
syndic  from  his  magistracy,  until  he  should  shew 
some  public  testimony  of  his  repentance. 
First  griev-     53    g^^j.  enouo'h  of  this  unwelcome  subject ;  only 


ance  com- 


p  Inter    Epistol.  Calvini  in         "i  Calvin  in  his  Letter  to  Fa- 
fol.  pag.  421,  422.  rellus,  Calvini  Ej)ist.  64. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  113 

I  must  add  that  some  there  were,  not  offended  with  a. d.  1587. 
the  oatli  itself,  which  took  exceptions  at  the  injn-   " 


;-ions  manner  of  offering  it.  They  com]ilained  (howr'"J"^';|}j^'.[ 
justly  God  knows)  of  some  created  fames  on  no'"^^''^ 
grounds,  and  pretended  suspicions  of  crimes  against 
those  persons  to  whom  they  bare  ill  affection,  and 
then  tendered  this  oath  (the  picklock  of  con- 
science) unto  them,  merely  to  find  matter  to  ensnare 
them. 

54.  Secondly,  they  complained,  that  to  discover  Second 
their  complices,  in  their  disciplinary  assemblies  chil-^'"^ 
dren  were  on  their  oaths  interrogated  against  their 
own  fathers,  contrary  to  the  rule  in  civil  law,  Films 
non  torqnefur  in  caput  patris, — "  a  child  ought  not 

"  to  be  tortured  in  point  of  peril  to  his  father's  life." 
And  although  these  accusations  were  not  capital, 
yet,  because  their  parents'  credit  was  so  deeply  con- 
cerned therein,  such  proceedings  had  a  strong  tang 
of  tyranny. 

55.  Thirdly,  the    party  to   whom    the    oath   was  Third 
given  might  not  beforehand  be  acquainted  (a  favour  ^"^^'^"'^''' 
usually  afforded  in  the  Star-Chamber)  with  the  par- 
ticulars whereon  they  m  ere  to  be  examined  ;  and  if, 

by  the  rule  of  Solomon,  he  that  ansivereth  a  matter 
before  he  heareth  it,  it  is  shame  and  folly  unto  him  % 
much  more  is  it  indiscreet  to  swear  to  answer  a 
matter  before  a  man  hear  it. 

56.  Fourthly,  they  complained  this  oath  ecV  officio  Fourth 

grievaiice. 

(like  what  is  said  of  l)lack  witches)  had  only  power 
to  do  mischief,  not  to  heal  and  help  any  ;  for  none 
were  cleared  by  the  taking  thereof,  if  denying  what 
was  charged  upon  them ;  but  the  judges  ecclesias- 

•■  Prov.  xviii   13. 

FULLEU,  vol..  v.  I 


114  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  isSj.tical   ofttimes   proceeded    to   a  further   inquiry  by 

— ^ ^examination  of  witnesses  on  the  points  denied  by 

the  parties. 
Four  ranks      5'j'^  'j'jjg  nonconfomiists  who  refused  to  take  this 

ot  refusers 

of  this  oath,  oath  may  bo  ranked  into  four  forms:  first,  such  as 
would  answer  neither  yea  nor  nay  what  they  woukl 
resolve  to  do  concerning  the  oath,  but  returned,  if 
our  soids  be  hidden,  tarry  till  the  Lord  come,  and 
make  the  counsels  of  our  hearts  manifest  ^ ;  but  if 
they  be  manifest,  let  our  accuser  and  the  witnesses 
come  forth  before  us. 

Second.  58.  A  sccond  sort  refused  not  the  oath  in  a  cause 

criminal,  but  did  it  with  this  limitation  and  protes- 
tation, that  they  intended  not  to  be  bound  thereby 
to  accuse  either  themselves  or  their  brethren. 

Third.  59.  A  third  sort  conceived  themselves  bound  to 

reveal  their  own  and  brothers'  crimes  and  offences, 
"  to  remove  evil  from  the  land,"  as  they  said  ;  but  as 
for  such  actions  of  their  brothers,  falsely  reputed 
offences,  which  were  none  in  the  judgment  of  the 
party  examined,  these  they  held  themselves  not 
bound  to  reveal. 

The  last  60.  The  last  sort,  though  they  took  the  oath  as 
to  other  things,  yet  protested  they  counted  not 
themselves  bound  to  answer  to  any  such  things 
whereon  witnesses  may  be  had ;  but  if  the  crime 
was  so  hidden  and  secret  that  witnesses  may  not  be 
had,  they  thought  they  might  lawfully  be  charged. 
For  instance,  they  held  a  preacher  might  not  be 
examined  on  oath  concerning  any  thing  he  had 
preached  in  public,  alleging  the  words  of  our 
Saviour,  Why  askest  thou  me  f  ask  them  that  heard 

s  2  Cor.  iv.  5. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  115 

me:  they  know  what  I  said  ^.     It  is  hard  to  make  a.  0.1587. 
the  opinion  of  the  first  and  last  form  to  dwell  peace-  J 1. 


soncon- 
formists 


ably  tofjfether. 

61.  We  take  our  leave  of  this  subject,  when  we 
have  told  the  reader  that  some  twenty  years  since, 
one  being  urged  by  archbishop  Laud  to  take  the 
oath  ea,'  officio,  refused  it  on  this  reason :  "  An  oath," 
saith  he,  "  by  the  words  of  the  apostle,  is  an  end 
"  of  all  strife  "  ;  whereas  this,"  saith  he,  "  is  the 
"  beginning  of  strife,  yields  matter  for  the  lawyers 
"  to  molest  me."  But  since  the  high  commission 
and  this  oath  are  taken  away  by  act  of  parliament, 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that,  if  such  swearing  were  so 
great  a  grievance,  nihil  analogum,  nothing  like  unto 
it  (which  may  amount  to  as  much)  shall  hereafter  be 
substituted  in  the  room  thereof. 

62.  Let   it   not   here  be   forgotten,  that  because  Nf 
many  did  question  the  legality  and  authority  of  the^prTemtp,! 
high  commission,  archbishop  Whitgift  so  contrived  [^'.j^^^^^j^^J'"' 
the  matter  that  the  most  sturdy  and  refractory  non- 
conformists, especially  if  they  had  any  visible  estates, 

were  brought  into  the  Star-Chamber,  the  power 
whereof  was  above  disputej  where  some  of  them, 
besides  imprisonment,  had  very  heavy  fines  imposed 
upon  them.  And  because  most  of  the  queen's  coun- 
cil were  present  at  the  censures,  this  took  off  the 
odium  from  the  archbishop,  which  in  the  high  com- 
mission lighted  chiefly  if  not  only  upon  him,  and 
fell  almost  equally  on  all  present  therein. 

63.  John  Fox  this  year  ended  his  life,  to  whomTi.cdpith 
in  some  respect  our  history  of  him  may  resemble"    "•'"'' 

t  John  xviii.  21.  "  Heb.  vi.  16. 

I  2 


116  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A. D.  1587. itself^;  for  he  in  his  lifetime  was  so  large  a  reliever 
— — '—  of  poor  people,  to  and  above  his  estate,  that  no 
wonder  if  at  his  death,  with  some  charitable  churls, 
he  bequeathed  no  legacies  unto  them.  Thus  have 
we  been  so  bountiful  in  describinsf  the  life  and  tran- 
scribing  the  letters  of  this  worthy  confessor,  that  the 
reader  will  excuse  us  if  at  his  death  we  give  no 
farther  character  of  his  piety  and  painfulncss.  Only 
let  me  add,  that  whereas  there  passeth  a  tradition, 
grounded  on  good  authority,  that  Mr.  Fox  foretold 
the  ruin  and  destruction  of  the  invincible  (so  called)' 
armado  in  the  eighty-eight,  the  story  is  true  in 
itself,  though  he  survived  not  to  see  the  perform- 
ance of  his  own  prediction. 

64.  Nor  will  it  be  amiss  to  insert  his  epitaph,  as 
we  find  it  on  his  monument  in  St.  Giles,  nigh  Crip- 
plegate,  in  London  : 

"  Christo  S.  S. 

"  Johanni  Foxo  Ecclesiae  Anglicanae  martyrologo 
"  fidelissimo,  antiquitatis  historicse  indagatori  saga- 
"  cissimo,  evangelicae  veritatis  propugnatori  acerrimo, 
"  thaumaturgo  admirabili,  qui  martyres  Marianos, 
"  tanquam  phoenices,  ex  cineribus  redivivos  prae- 
"  stitit." 

and  of  Dr.       ^5.  His  dear  friend,  Dr.  Laurence  Humfrey,  may 
'^*^^'    be  said  to  die  with  him,   (though   his  languishing 


^   [A  very   interesting   Life  ments,  ed.  1641.     In  this  Life 

of  Fox,  said  to  be  AVTitten  by  several  instances  are  given  of 

his  son  Samuel  Fox,  fellow  of  his  exercising  what  he  himself 

Magdalene  College  in  Oxford,  conceived   to   be  the   spirit  of 

is  prefixed   to   the   second   vo-  prophecy.     See     also    Wood's 

lume  of  his  Acts   and  Monu-  Athen.  I.  230.] 


CENT.  XVI, 


of  Britain.  H' 


life  lasted  a  year  lono-er,)  so  orreat  his  Grief  to  heA.  D.1587. 

•^  '^        '  <='  -.  .         ^o  Eliz. 

parted  from   his  fellow-colleague,  bred  together  111  ~ 

Oxford,  and  banished  together  into  Germany.  But 
see  more  of  his  character  in  the  year  1596,  where 
by  mistake  (which  here  I  freely  confess)  his  death  is 
inserted. 

66.  About  this  time  ^Mr.  William  Lambert  finished  The  first 

1  1  11      protestant 

his  hospital  at  Greenwich,  founded  and  endowed  by  hospital 
him  for  poor  people.  He  was  the  first  protestant 
who  erected  a  charitable  house  of  that  nature,  as 
our  antiquary  observeth  y  ;  though  I  cannot  wholly 
concur  with  this  observation,  seeing  king  Edward 
the  Sixth  founded  Christ  Church  and  St.  Thomas's 
Hospital. 

67.  Indeed  now  (pardon  a  short  digression)  began  Beautiful 
beautiful  buildings  m  England,  as  to  the  generality  begin  in 
thereof,  whose   homes  were  but  homely  before,  as  *'^"S^'*"'^- 
small   and   ill-contrived,  much   timber  being  need- 
lessly lavished  upon   them.     But  now   many  most 
regular  pieces  of  architecture  were  erected ;  so  that, 

as  one  saith,  they  began  to  dwell  latins  and  lautius ; 
but  I  suspect  not  IcbUus,  hospitality  daily  much  de- 
caying. 

68.  Amongst  other  structures,  Wimbledon  House, 
in  Surrey,  was  this  year  begun  (and  finished  the 
next,  as  appeareth  by  an  inscription  therein)  by  sir 
Thomas  Cecil,  afterward  lord  Burghley  ;  on  the 
selfsame  token  that,  many  years  after,  Gondomar 
(treated  therein  by  the  lord  with  a  plentiful  feast) 
was  highly  aifected  with  his  entertainment,  and 
much  commended  the  uniformity  of  the  fabric,  till 

y  Camd.  Brit,  in  Kent. 
I  3 


118  The  Church  Hiatoi'y  qfBntain.         book  ix. 

A.  D.  1587. the  date  thereof  (shewed  unto  him)  dashed  all,  as 

Jl !^  built  when  the  Spanish  armado  was  defeated. 

Noncon-         69-  Indeed,  at  this  time,  there  was  more  unifor- 
st^'^'*      mity  in  the  buildings  than  conformity  in  the  church 
behaviour  of  men ;  the  sticklers  against  the  hier- 
archy appearing  now  more  vigorous,   though  for  a 
time  they  had  concealed  themselves. 


SECT.   VII. 


TO 

UK.  HAMOND  WARD,  AND  MR.  RICHARD 
FULLER, 

OF  LONDON,  MERCHANTS  a. 

It  is  usual  for  the  plaintiff  to  put  two  or  three  names  upon  the 
same  ivrit,  taken  out  of  the  upper  Bench,  {always  provided 
the  persons  dioell  in  the  same  county,)  and  this  is  done  to 
save  charges.  My  thanks  doth  here  embrace  the  same  way 
of  thrift,  that  so  tlie  small  stock  of  my  History  may  hold  out 
the  better  amongst  my  many  friends  and  favourers.  A^id 
this  my  joint  Dedication  is  the  7nore  proper,  because  you 
live  in  the  same  city,  are  of  the  same  profession,  and  {if  not 
formerly)  this  may  minister  the  welcome  occasion  of  your 
future  acquaintance. 


UT  now  a  session  of  parliament  was  lield  a.d.  1587. 
at  Westminster,  whereni  the  House  or 

.A  sixteen- 

Commons  presented  to  the  lords  spi- fold  petition 
ritual  and  temporal  a  petition,  com- Jy^^JjJg^com- 
plaining  how  many  parishes,  especially  J3^'^  *^^ 

parliament. 
Second  son  of  Bostock  Fuller, 
esq.  of  Tandridge  Court  in 
Surrey,  and  P' ranees  daughter 
of  Erasmus  Gainsford,  of 
Crowhurst,  Surrey,  esq.  A 
blank  for  his  arms  occurs  in 
the  MS.  Visitation  of  i^Iiddle- 
sex,  p.  2.  1664.  This  is  all  the 
information  which,  after  con- 
siderable search,  I  have  been 
able  to  gain  respecting  him.] 

I  4> 


a  [Arms  of  Ward.  A  buck 
passant,  proper,  collared,  lined 
and  ringed,  or.  This  is  the 
crest  of  the  noble  family  of  the 
Wards  of  Norfolk;  and  I  cannot 
help  thinking  that  Fuller  has 
mistaken  the  crest  for  the  arms. 
I  can  lind  no  trace  whatever  of 
this  person. 

Arms  of  Fuller.  Argent. 
Three  bars  and  a  canton  gules. 


1^0  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A. D.I. ,87. in  the  north  of  England  and  Wales,  were  destitute 

J ^of  preachers,  and   no  care   taken    to    supply  them. 

Sixteen  were  the  particulars,  whereof  the  six  first 
were  against  insufficient  ministers ;  very  earnestly 
pressing  their  taking  the  same  into  their  serious 
consideration,  for  speedy  redress  of  the  grievances 
therein  contained. 

vii.  That  no  oath  or  subscription  might  be  ten- 
dered to  any  at  their  entrance  into  ministry,  but 
such  as  is  expressly  prescribed  by  the  statutes  of 
this  realm,  except  the  oath  against  corrupt  entering. 

viii.  That  they  may  not  be  troubled  for  omission 
of  some  rites  or  portions  prescribed  in  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer. 

ix.  That  they  may  not  be  called  and  urged  to 
answer  before  the  officials  and  commissaries,  but 
before  the  bishops  themselves. 

x.  That  such  as  had  been  suspended  or  deprived 
for  no  other  offence,  but  only  for  not  subscribing, 
might  be  restored ;  and  that  the  bishops  would  for- 
bear their  excommunication,  c\v  officio  mero,  of  godly 
and  learned  preachers,  not  detected  for  open  oflfence 
of  life,  or  apparent  error  in  doctrine. 

xi.  That  they  might  not  be  called  before  the  high 
commission,  or  out  of  the  diocese  where  they  lived, 
except  for  some  notable  offence. 

xii.  That  it  might  be  permitted  to  them,  in  every 
archdeaconry,  to  have  some  common  exercises  and 
conferences  amongst  themselves,  to  be  limited  and 
prescribed  by  the  ordinaries. 

xiii.  That  the  high  censure  of  excommunication 
may  not  be  denounced  or  executed  for  small 
matters. 

xiv.  Nor  by  chancellors,  commissaries,  or  officials. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  1^1 

but  by  the  bishops   themselves,  with  assistance   ofA.  i).  1587 

30  Eliz. 

grave  persons.  -^ 


XV.  xvi.  That  non-resitlency  may  be  quite  removed 
out  of  the  church,  or  at  least  that  (according  to  the 
Queen's  Injunctions,  Art.  44)  no  non-resident  having 
already  a  licence  or  faculty  may  enjoy  it,  unless  he 
depute  an  able  curate,  that  may  weekly  preach  and 
catechise,  as  is  required  in  her  majesty's  Injunctions. 

Of  all  these  particulars  the  house  fell  most  fiercely 
on  the  debate  of  pluralities,  and  the  effect  thereof, 
non-residents. 

2.  Archbishop  Whitgift  pleaded  that  licences  for  The  arch- 

til  bishop's 

non -residency  were  at  the  present  but  seldom  piea  for 
granted ;  and  yet,  in  way  of  recovering  health  by  ems"'^'' '  ' 
changing  of  air,  of  study  for  a  time  in  the  university, 
of  mortal  enmity  borne  by  some  in  the  parish,  of 
])rosecution  of  law,  or  of  being  employed  in  public 
affairs,  they  cannot  be  wholly  abrogated  ;  that  there 
were  in  England  four  thousand  five  hundred  bene- 
fices, with  cure,  not  above  ten  and  most  of  them 
under  eight  pounds  in  the  first-fruits  book,  which 
cannot  be  furnished  with  able  pastors,  as  the  peti- 
tioners desire,  because  of  the  smallness  of  their 
livings.  Moreover  he  affirmed,  that  whatever  was 
])retended  to  the  contrary,  England  at  that  time 
flourished  with  able  ministers  more  than  ever  before 
— yea,  had  more  than  all  Christendom  besides. 

3.  The  lord  Grey  rejoined  to  this  assertion  of  The  lord 
''  more  learned  ministers  in  the  Church  of  England  rejoinder. 
"  than  ever  heretofore — nay,  than  in  all  the  reformed 

"  churches  in  Christendom,"  this,  "•  that  it  was  not 
"  to  be  attributed  to  the  bishops  or  their  actions, 
"  but  to  God,  who  now  opened  the  hearts  of  many 
"  to  see  into  the  truth,  and  that  the  schools  were 
"  better  observed." 


122 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   IX. 


A.  D.  1587. 
30  Eliz. 

The  lord- 
treasurer 
his  mode- 
ration. 


Others  in- 
terpi-et. 


The  lord 
Orey 
(ijliaTe 
wliether  of 
\\'ilton,  or 
what  most 
prohaliie, 
of  Riitheii, 
aftenxards 
earl  of 
Kent) 
replied  ^. 


4.  The  lord-treasurer  Burghley,  seeming  to  mode- 
rate betwixt  them,  after  a  long  and  learned  oration, 
concluded,  "  that  he  was  not  so  scruj)ulous  as  abso- 
"  lutely  to  like  of  the  bill  against  pluralities,  without 
"  any  exception  ;  for  he  did  favour  both  learning, 
"  and  wished  a  competent  reward  to  it ;  and  there- 
"  fore  could  like  and  allow  a  learned  man  to  have 
"  two  benefices,  so  they  were  both  in  one  parish, 
''  that  is  to  say,  in  one  diocese,  and  not  one  in  the 
"  diocese  of  Winchester  and  another  in  the  north, 
"  where  the  several  diocesans  would  have  no  regard 
"  of  them ;  whereas,  being  both  in  one  diocese,  the 
"  bishop  would  look  unto  them." 

5.  Here  it  was  signified  that  her  majesty  was 
acquainted  with  the  matter,  and  that  she  was  very 
forward  to  redress  the  faults,  and  therefore  required 
the  bishops  not  to  hinder  her  good  and  gracious 
I)urpose,  for  that  her  majesty  would  confer  with 
them. 

6.  The  lord  Grey  again  said,  "  he  greatly  won- 
"  dered  at  her  majesty,  that  she  would  make  choice 
"  to  confer  with  those  who  were  all  enemies  to 
"  reformation,  for  that  it  merely  touched  their  free- 
"  holds ;  and  therefore  he  thought  it  good  the  house 
"  should  make  choice  of  some  to  be  joined  with 
"  them ;  also  he  wished  the  bishops  might  be  served 
"  as  they  were  in  king  Henry  the  Eighth's  days, 
"  when,  as  in  the  case  of  prcBtnunire,  they  were  all 
"  thrust  out  of  doors." 


^  [It  was,  doubtless,  the  lord  or  council-table  sided  with  the 

Grey  of  Wilton  ;  for  this  lord,  anti-prelatical  party.  Worthies, 

as  Lioyd  says,  was  but  a  back-  I.  477.      He  was  equally  dis- 

friend   to   bishops,    and   in   all  tinguished  for  his  misconduct 

divisions  of  votes  in  parliament  and  cruelty  in  Ireland.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  123 

7.  Then  the  lord-treasurer  said,  "  that  the  bishoi)S,  A.D.1587. 

"  if  they  were  wise,  woukl  themselves  be  humble   ' '— 

"  suitors  to  her  majesty  to  have  some  of  the  tem- 

"  poral  lords  joined  with  them." 

8.  The  lord-chamberlain  utterly  disliked  the  lord 
Grey's  motion,  alleging-,  "  that  it  was  not  to  be  liked 
"  of  that  the  lords  should  appoint  her  majesty  any 
"  to  confer  withal,  but  that  it  should  be  left  to 
"  her  own  election." 

9.  Matters  flying  thus  high,  the  archbishop,  with  The  bisiiops 

1  /»      1  1  •         1     •         1  c  ]>ri)vi(leiitlv 

the  rest  or  the  clergy,  conceived  it  the  saiest  way  ,,etitioii  the 
to  apply  themselves  by  petition  to  the  queen,  which ''"'^*^"" 
they  presented  as  foUoweth  : 

"  To  the  Queen's  most  excellent  Majesty. 

"  The  woful  and  distressed  state  whereinto  we  are 
"  like  to  fall  forceth  us,  with  grief  of  heart,  in  most 
"  humble  manner  to  crave  your  majesty's  most  sove- 
"  reign  protection ;  for  the  pretence  being  made  the 
"  maintenance  and  increase  of  a  learned  ministry, 
"  when  it  is  thoroughly  weighed,  decayeth  learning, 
"  spoileth  their  livings,  taketh  away  the  set  form 
"  of  prayer  in  the  church,  and  is  the  means  to  bring 
"  in  confusion  and  barbarism.  How  dangerous  in- 
"  novations  are  in  a  settled  estate,  whosoever  hath 
"  judgment  perceiveth.  Set  dangers  apart,  yet  such 
"  great  inconveniences  may  ensue,  as  will  make  a 
"  state  lamentable  and  miserable.  Our  neighbours' 
"  miseries  might  make  us  fearful,  but  that  we  know 
"  who  rules  the  same.  All  the  reformed  churches 
"  in  Europe  cannot  compare  with  England  in  the 
"  number  of  learned  ministers.  These  benefits  of 
"  your  majesty's  most  sacred  and  careful  government 
"  with  hearty  joy  we  feel,  and  humbly  acknowledge ; 


124  The  CImrch  History  book  ix. 

A.I).  15S7.'' senseless  are  they  that  repine  at  it,  and  careless 

30  Eliz.  -^  ^ 

"  Avho   lightly  regard  it.     The  respect  hereof  made 

"  the  prophet  to  say,  Dii  e.stis.  All  the  faithful  and 
"  discreet  clergy  say,  0  Dea  certe  —  Nothing  is  im- 
"  possible  with  God  *^.  Requests  without  grounded 
"  reasons  are  lightly  to  be  rejected.  We  therefore, 
"  not  as  directors,  but  as  humble  remembrancers, 
"  beseech  your  highness'  favourable  beholding  of  our 
"■  present  state,  and  what  it  will  be  in  time  to  come, 
"  if  the  bill  against  pluralities  should  take  any 
"  place." 

To  the  petition  were  annexed  a  catalogue  of  those 
inconveniences  to  the  state  present,  state  to  come, 
cathedral  churches,  universities,  to  her  majesty,  to 
religion — in  case  pluralities  were  taken  away — here 
too  large  to  be  inserted  ^.  So  that,  in  effect,  nothing 
was  effected  as  in  relation  to  this  matter,  but  things 
left  in  statu  quo  prius  at  the  dissolution  of  this 
parliament. 
Thedeatii  10.  Auiougst  the  mortalities  of  this  year,  most 
BainelT  remarkable  the  death  of  Richard  Barnes,  bishop  of 
Durham,  one  commendable  in  himself,  but  much 
suffering  for  the  corruption  and  viciousness  of  John 
Barnes,  his  brother,  and  chancellor  ^.  This  bishop 
was  bred  in  Brasenose  College,  made  suffragan  of 
Nottingham,  (the  last,  I  believe,  who  Avore  that 
title,)  and  behaved  himself  very  gravely  in  his  dio- 
cese ;  a  great  friend  at  last  to  Bernard  Gilpin, 
though   at   first  by  some  ill  instruments   incensed 

c  ["  A  Greek  sentence,"  (ob-  petition,  are  printed  in  Strype's 

serves    Strype,    who    has    also  Whitgift,  p.  280.] 

j)rinted    this    letter,)    "  falsely  ^   Bishop  Carleton's  Life  of 

"  and  illegibly  written  in   the  Bernard  Gilpin,  p.  190.     [Ful- 

"  coi)y."  Whitgift,  280.]  ler's  Worthies,  II.  197.] 

'^  [These,    with    the    above 


( KNT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  125 

against  liiiii  * ;  and  seciiio-  they  were  loviuff  in  their  ^^- 1^-'5«7- 

lives,    their    memories    in    my   book    shall    not    be  ^ 

divided,  though  I  confess  the  latter  died  some  three 
years  before. 

11.  This  Bernard  Gilpin,  born  of  a  right  worship- And  of 
ful  family,  at  Kentmire  in  Westmoreland,  had  Cuth-(iii|,i„. 
bert  Tunstall,  bishop  of  Durham,  for  his  great-uncle. 

He  was  bred  first  in  Queen's  College,  then  Christ- 
church,  in  Oxford  ;  and  no  doubt  the  prayers  of 
Peter  JMartyr  conduced  to  his  conversion  to  be  a 
protestant ;  for  he,  hearing  this  Gilpin  dispute  cor- 
dially on  the  popish  party,  desired  of  God  that  so 
good  aftections  might  not  be  misguided,  and  at  last 
obtained  his  desire. 

12.  He  weathered  out  the  reign  of  queen  Mary,  Haniiy 
partly  with  his  travels  beyond  the  seas,  (chiefly  resid- ,^|',ee^r  '" 
ing  at  Louvain  and  Paris ;)  i)artly,  after  his  return,  ^'^.'7'* 
by  the  favour  of  his  uncle  Tunstall,  before  whom  he 

was  often  cited,  (chiefly  about  the  eucharist,)  but 
was  discharged  by  confessing  the  real  presence,  and 
that  the  manner  thereof  transcended  his  apprehen- 
sion ;  Tunstall  not  enforcing  him  to  the  particularity 
of  transubstantiation,  as  using  himself  to  complain 
on  pope  Innocent  for  defining  de  modo  to  be  an 
article  of  faith.  However  his  foes  so  hardly  beset 
him,  that  once  he  ordered  his  servant  to  provide  for 
him  a  long  shroud,  not  for  his  winding  but  burning 
sheet,  as  expecting  at  last  he  should  be  brought  to 
the  stake  for  his  religion.  But  men  may  make 
clothes,  either  for  mirth  or  for  mourning,  whilst  God 
alone  orders  whether  or  no  they  shall  wear  them. 

^  [By  Hugh  Broughton,  the  by   his    violent    temper,    arro- 

celebrated  adversary  of  bishop  gance,     and     insubordination. 

Bilson,  a  man  whose  learning  See  Carleton's  Life  of  Gilpin, 

was  more  than  counterbalanced  p.  31  1,  ed.  Bates.] 


126  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  15H7.      13.  After  the  coming  of  queen  Elizabeth  to  the 
^°  crown,  he  with  more  earnestness  refused  a  bishopric 

nia*n"yl!t  a  ^liau  othcrs  affccted  it.  Ilis  parsonage  at  Haughton, 
tnie  father.  ^^  j|.  j-j^igj^t  sceui  a  blshop's  palacc  for  building,  so 
was  it  no  less  for  hospitality.  Fourteen  villages 
belonging  to  that  mother  church,  the  poor  whereof 
(besides  many  others)  were  daily  relieved  at  his  door; 
twenty  scholars  he  commonly  boarded  in  his  house, 
which  seemed  a  little  college.  In  a  word,  he  was 
commonly  called  father  Gili)in,  and  well  deserved  it, 
for  his  paternal  affections  to  all ;  making  his  yearly 
progress  into  Rhedesdale  and  Tinsdale,  in  Northum- 
berland, where  people  sat  in  darkness  of  ignorance 
and  shadow  of  death,  and  instructing  them  by  his 
heavenly  preaching. 
The  brave  14.  Now  bcgau  that  fatal  year  generally  foretold 
Sth'of  the  that  it  would  be  wonderful,  as  it  proved  no  less  ^. 
mTOado!  Whence  the  astrologers  fetched  their  intelligence 
hereof,  (whether  from  heaven  or  hell,  from  other 
stars,  or  from  Lucifer  alone,)  is  uncertain  :  this  is 
most  sure,  that  this  prediction,  though  hitting  the 
mark,  yet  missed  their  meaning,  who  both  first 
reported  and  most  believed  it.  Out  comes  their 
invincible  navy  and  army,  perfectly  appointed  for 
both  elements,  water  and  land,  to  sail  and  march 
complete  in  all  warlike  equipage  ;  so  that  formerly, 
with  far  less  provision,  they  had  conquered  another 
new  world.  Mighty  was  the  bulk  of  their  ships,  the 
sea  seeming  to  groan  under  them,  (])eing  a  burden 
to  it  as  they  went,  and  to  themselves  before  they 
returned,)  with  all  manner  of  artillery,  prodigious  in 
number  and  greatness;  so  that  the  report  of  their 
guns  does  still,  and  ought  ever,  to  sound  in  the  ears 

g   [Camden's  Eliz.  1588.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  127 

of  the  English,  not  to  fright  them  M'ith  any  terror,  a.  i).  1588. 

but  to  fill  them  with  deserved  thankfulness.  — ^^ '— 

15.   It    is    said    of   Sennacherib,   coming    against  T'leshame- 

T  I  •    1      1   •  11  ,        t'lil  fight 

Jerusalem  with  his  numerous  army,  by  the  ivay  fnat  and  rHm-n 
he  came  shall  he  return,  and  shall  not  come  into  this  "^"'■' " 
citi/,  saith  the  Lord^^.  As  the  latter  part  of  this 
threatening  was  verified  here,  (no  Si)aniard  setting 
foot  on  English  ground  under  other  notion  than  a 
prisoner,)  so  God  did  not  them  the  honour  to  return 
the  same  way ;  who,  coming  by  south-east,  (a  way 
they  knew,)  went  back  by  south-west,  (a  way  they 
sought,)  chased  by  our  ships  past  the  fifty-seventh 
degree  of  northern  latitude,  then  and  there  left  to 
be  pursued  after  by  hunger  and  cold  ^  Thus,  having 
tasted  the  English  valour  in  conquering  them,  the 
Scotch  constancy  in  not  relieving  them,  the  Irish 
cruelty  in  barbarously  butchering  them,  the  small 
reversion  of  this  great  navy  which  came  home  might 
be  looked  upon  by  religious  eyes  as  relics,  not  for 
the  adoration  but  instruction  of  their  nation  here- 
after, not  to  account  any  thing  invincible  which  is 
less  than  infinite. 

16.  Such  as  lose  themselves  by  looking  on  second  This  deli- 
causes  impute  the  Spanish  ill  success  partly  to  the  principally 
prince  of  Parma,  who,  either  mind-bound  or  wind- go^'S^'J.^ 
bound,  staying  himself  or  stopped  by  the  Hollander, 
would  or  could  not  come  to  their  seasonable  suc- 
cour ^ ;  and  partly  to  the  duke  of  Medina's  want  of 
commission  to  fight  with  the  English,  save  on  the 
defensive,  till  joined  with  Parma.     Thus,  when  God 
will  have  a  design  defeated,  amidst  the  plenty,  yea, 
superfluity  of  all  imaginable  necessaries,  some  unsus- 

^  1  Kings  xix.  33.      '  [Somers'  Trncts,  1.  452.]     ^  [Cainde"!!,  1.  1.] 


128  The  Church  History  hook  ix. 

8. 
3  I  Eliz. 


''^'  ^'x^^^^^'  pscted  one  shall  be  wanting  to  frustrate  all  the  rest 


We  will  not  mention  (save  in  due  distance  of  helps) 
the  industry  and  loyalty  of  the  lord  Howard  ^  (ad- 
miral,) the  Yalour  of  our  captains,  the  skill  of  our 
])ilots,  the  activity  of  our  ships  ;  but  assign  all  to 
the  goodness  of  God,  as  queen  Elizabeth  did.  Leave 
we  her  in  the  quire  of  Paul's  church,  devoutly  on 
her  knees,  with  the  rest  of  her  nobles  in  the  same 
humble  posture,  returning  their  unfeigned  thanks  to 
the  God  and  giver  of  all  victory,  whilst  going 
abroad,  we  shall  find  some  of  her  subjects  worse 
employed  in  implacable  enmity  about  ecclesiastical 
discipline  one  against  another.  And  let  not  the 
mentioning  of  this  deliverance  be  censured  as  a 
deviation  from  the  Church  History  of  Britain,  silence 
thereof  being  a  sin  ;  for  had  the  design  took  effect, 
neither  protestant  church  in  Britain  had  remained, 
nor  history  thereof  been  made  at  this  present. 
Sciirriions  17.  But  bullets  did  not  fly  about  so  much  at  sea, 
arspei-sed.  as  bastardly  libels  by  land,  so  fitly  called  because 
none  durst  father  them  for  their  issue.  They  are 
known,  though  not  by  their  parents,  by  their  names  : 

i.  The  Epitome.  [Written  by  Penry,  and  printed 
by  Waldegrave  at  the  house  of  sir  Richard  Knightly, 
at  Fausly,  1588.] 

ii.  The  Demonstration  of  Discipline.  [By  Udall ; 
printed  at  Mrs.  Crane's  house,  Mowsely,  by  Walde- 
grave.] 

iii.  The  Supplication.  [Written  by  Penry,  and 
printed  by  Waldegrave  at  Hale's  house.  Midlent, 
1589.] 

'   [Charles  Howard,  of  Effingham,  afterwards  carl  of  Notting- 
ham.    See  Camden,  ib.] 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain. 


129 


iv.  Diotrephes.   [By  Udal,  printed  by  Waldegrave,  ^-  ^^.f ^^* 
at  JMrs.  Crane's  house,  INIowsely.]  

V.  The  Minerals.  [Printed  by  Waldegrave,  at 
Hale's  house,  Coventry,  Feb.  1589-] 

vi.  Have  You  any  Work  for  the  Cooper  ?  [Printed 
as  above,  about  Palm  Sunday,  1588.] 

vii.  Martin  Mar-Prelate,  Senior.  [By  Udal  and 
Penry,  printed  at  Weekston's  house,  by  Hodgkins, 
Midsummer,  1588.] 

viii.  Martin  Mar-Prelate,  Junior,  [By  Udal  and 
Penry,  printed  as  above.] 

ix.  JNIore  Work  for  the  Cooper,  (&c.)  ™.  [Printed 
in  Newton  Lane,  Manchester,  by  Hodgkins.] 

The  main  drift  and  scope  of  these  pamphlets  (for 


"^  [[See  an  account  of  these 
books  in  Strype's  Whitgift,  pp. 
288,  298.  Annals  iii.  ap.  262. 
IMany  more  were  published  than 
Fuller  has  mentioned,  but  they 
are  too  numerous  to  be  particu- 
larized within  the  compass  of  a 
note.  A  very  lucid  account  of 
the  controversy,  and  of  the 
writers  concerned  in  it,  is  given 
by  Dr.  Heylyn  in  his  History 
of  the  Presbyterians,  p.  283. 
The  chief  among  them  was 
John  Penry^  (afterwards  con- 
demned and  put  to  death  for 
a  libel  ^vritten  against  the 
queen,)  a  native  of  Wales,  first 
a  subsizer  in  Peter  House, 
Cambridge,  afterwards  a  com- 
moner in  St.  Alban's  Hali ; 
yet  so  gross  and  coarse  was 
the  style  of  these  pamphlets^ 
that  although  many  of  them 
were  seriously  answered  by 
eminent  persons,  (such  as  Dr. 
Cooper  and  Dr.  Bridges,)  their 
authors  were  not  put  to  shame 

FULLER,  VOL.  V. 


until  they  were  met  by  the 
same  weapons  which  them- 
selves had  first  emploved.  And 
thus  they  who  had  made  grave 
things  ridiculous  became  a  ridi- 
cule and  a  jest  even  among  the 
lowest.  Their  most  dreaded  op- 
ponent in  this  their  own  way  of 
writing  was  an  author  of  some 
celebrity,  named  Thomas  Nash, 
who,  about  the  year  1589,  put 
forth  a  pamphlet  in  answer  to 
Martin  Mar-Prelate,  with  the 
following  bantering  title  :  — 
"  Pappe  with  an  Hatchet,  alias, 
"  a  Fig  for  my  Godson ;  or, 
"  Crack  me  this  Nut  ;  or,  a 
"  Country  Cuff;  that  is,  a  sound 
"  Box  on  the  Ear  for  the  Idiot 
"  Martin  to  hold  his  peace. 
"  Written  by  one  that  dares  call 
"  a  dog  a  dog.  Imprinted  by 
"  John  Anoke,  S^-c.  ;  and  are  to 
"  be  sold  at  the  sign  of  the 
"  Crab-tree  Cudgel,  in  Thwack- 
"  coat  Lane."  See  Wood's 
AtheniB,  I,  261 .] 


130  The  Church  History  hook  ix. 

A.  D.  1588.  know  one  and  know  all — these  foul-mouthed  papers, 

— ^ like  blackamoors,  did  all  look  alike)  was  to  defame 

and  disgrace  the  English  prelates,  scoffing  at  them 
for  their  garb,  gait,  apparel,  vanities  of  their  youth, 
natural    defects,    and     personal    infirmities.      It    is 
strange  how  secretly  they  were  printed,  how  speedily 
dispersed,  how  generally  bought,  how^  greedily  read, 
yea,  and  how  firmly  believed,  especially  of  the  com- 
mon sort,  to  whom  no  better  music   than   to  hear 
their  betters  upbraided. 
Their  rea-       ig.  Some  precise  men  of  that  side  thought  these 
lawfulness  jeering  pens  well  employed ;  for  having  formerly,  as 
pamphlets,  they  Say,  tried  all  serious  and  sober  means  to  reclaim 
the   bishops,   (which    hitherto    jiroved    uneffectual,) 
they  thought  it  not  amiss  to  try  this  new  way,  that 
whom   they  could   not  in   earnest  make  odious,  in 
sport  they  might  render  ridiculous.     Wits   will  be 
working,  and  such  as  have  a   satirical  vein  cannot 
better  vent  it  than  in  lashing  of  sin.     Besides,  they 
wanted  not  a   warrant,  as   they  conceived,  in   holy 
writ,  where   it   was   no   solecism  to  the   gravity  of 
Elijah   to  mock   Baal's  priests   out  of  their   super- 
stition chiefly  ".     This  was  conceived   would   drive 
on  their  design,   strengthen  their  party  by  working 
on  the  people's  affections,  which  were  marvellously 
taken  with  the  reading  thereof. 
These  19-  But   the  more   discreet   and   devout    sort   of 

claimed  ify  mou,  eveu  of  such  as  were  no  great  friends  to  the 
!ort*^anT*  hierarchy,    upon    solemn    debate    then    resolved,  (I 
why.         speak  on  certain  knowledge,  from  the  mouths  of  such 
whom  I  must  believe,)  that  for  many  foul  falsehoods 
therein   suggested  such  books  were   altogether  un- 

"1   I  Kings  xviii.  27. 


CENT.  XVI.  ()f  Britain.  131 

beseeming  a  pious  spirit,  to  print,  publish,  or  withA.  d.  158: 
pleasure  peruse;  Avliich,  supposed  true  both  in  mat '— 


ter  and  measure,  charity  would  rather  conceal  than 
discover:  the  best  of  men  being  so  conscious  of 
their  own  badness,  that  they  are  more  careful  to 
wash  their  own  faces  than  busy  to  throw  dirt  on 
others.  Any  man  may  be  witty  in  a  biting  way, 
and  those  that  have  the  dullest  brains  have  com- 
monly the  sharj)est  teeth  to  that  purj^ose.  But 
such  carnal  mirth,  whilst  it  tickles  the  flesh,  doth 
wound  the  soul ;  and,  which  was  the  main,  these 
base  books  would  give  a  great  advantage  to  the 
general  foe,  and  papists  would  make  too  much  use 
thereof  against  protestant  religion,  especially  seeing 
an  archangel  thought  himself  too  good  to  bring,  and 
Satan  not  bad  enough  to  have  railing  speeches 
brought  against  him  °. 

20.  But,  leaving  private  men  to  abound  in  their  Tiie  instnt 
own  sense,  how  highly  the  state  (as  it  then  stood)  pioyed  in' 
distasted  these  books,  will  plainly  appear  by  the  ",'pljg"^„kg 
heavy  censures  inflicted  on  such  as  were  but  acces-  ^?'y'\y  p»- 

•'  nished. 

sory  thereunto.  To  pass  by  John  Penry  and  John 
Udal,  ministers  accused  for  making  some  of  them, 
"(of  whom  in  due  place,)  together  with  the  printers, 
and  Humphrey  Newman,  a  cobbler,  chief  disperser 
of  them,  the  Star-Chamber  deeply  fined  sir  Richard 
Knightly  and  sir  [  ]  Wigston  for  entertaining 

and  receiving  the  press  gentlemen,  whom  their 
adversaries  allow  qualified  with  piety,  gravity,  and 
wisdom  P ;    which    made   many   admire    how    their 

"  Jude  9.  queen  Mary  at  her  coronation. 

P  Sir  G.  Paul  in  the  Life  of  See  Strype's  j\Iem.  III.  App. 

Archbishop    Whitgift,     §.  61.  vii. ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  that 

[A     person     named      William  the  person  mentioned  by  Fuller 

Wygston     was     knighted    by  is  the  same  who,  in  the  depo- 


K 


O 


132  The  Church  Hintory  book  ix, 

A.  D.  1588.  discretion  could  be  deluded,  and  more  bemoan  that 
_i! — !!l  their  goodness  should  be  abused  by  others,  who  had 
designs  upon  them.  Here  archbishop  Whitgift  be- 
stirred himself  to  improve  his  interest  with  the 
queen,  till  his  importunity  had  angered  her,  and  till 
his  importunity  had  pleased  her  again,  that  they 
might  be  delivered  out  of  prison  and  eased  of  their 
fines,  which  upon  their  submission  was  performed  *i ; 
whose  mildness  to  mediate  for  his  adversaries,  as  it 
was  highly  commended  by  some,  so  there  wanted 
not  those  who  imputed  his  moderation  therein  to 
declining  of  envy,  gaining  of  applause,  and  remorse 
of  his  own  conscience  for  over-rigorous  proceedings ; 
it  being  no  charity  to  cure  the  wound  he  had 
caused,  and  solicit  the  remitting  of  those  fines  which 
he  had  procured  to  be  imposed.  Thus  impossible 
it  is  to  please  fro  ward  spirits,  and  to  make  them  like 
the  best  deed  who  dislike  the  doer  thereof;  and  if 
any  desire  to  know  the  motions  and  stages  of  the 
press  which  printed  these  books,  know  it  was  first 
set  up  at  Moulsey,  near  Kingston,  in  Surrey'";  thence 
conveyed  to  Fausly,  in  Northamptonshire ;  thence 
to  Norton,  and  afterwards  to  Coventry  ;  hence  it 
was  removed  to  Welstone,  in  Warwickshire,  whence 
the  letters  were  sent  to  another  press,  in  or  near 
Manchester,  and  there  discovered  by  Henry  [Stan- 
ley,] earl  of  Derby,  in  the  printing  of  "  More  Work 
"  for  the  Cooper."  No  wonder,  then,  if  many 
erratas  were  committed  by  this  (call  it  as  you 
please,  pilgrim  or  vagabond)  press,  when  itself  was 
ever  in  a  wandering  and  straggling  condition. 

sitions    taken    at   Lambeth,  is  q    Camden's    Elizabetha    in 

called   Roger  Weekston,  Esq.     anno  1588. 
Strype's  An.  III.  App.  263.]  r  Sir  G.  Paul,  ib. 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain. 


133 


21.  A  synod  of  the  i)resbyterians  %  of  the  War--^-^^- 'sSi". 
wickshire  classis,  Avas  called  at  Coventry,  die  decimo -— - 

'  J '  Acts  of  tlie 

quarti,  (that  is,  on  the  10th  of  April,)  wherein  the  synod  of 
questions  brought  the  last  year  from  the  brethren 
of  Cambridge  synod  were  resolved  in  manner  as  fol- 
lowetli :  * 

i.  That  private  baptism  is  unlawful  ^. 

ii.  That  it  is  not  lawful  to  read  homilies  in  the 
church . 

iii.  That  the  sign  of  the  cross  is  not  to  be  used 
in  baptism. 

iv.  That  the  faithful  ought  not  to  communicate 
with  unlearned  ministers,  although  they  may  be  pre- 
sent at  their  service,  if  they  come  of  purpose  to  hear 
a  sermon.  The  reason  is,  because  laymen  as  well  as 
ministers  may  read  public  service. 

V.  That  the  calling  of  bishops  &c.  is  unlawful. 

vi.  That  as  they  deal  in  causes  ecclesiastical,  there 


s  [Of  their  proceedings  at 
this  time,  see  also  Strype's 
Whitgift,  p.  291-] 

t  Transcribed  out  of  bishop 
Bancroft's  book  called  Eng- 
land's Scottizing  for  Discipline 
by  Practice,  pp.  86,  87,  who 
may  seem  to  have  had  the 
original  in  Latin. 

"  [Upon  this  point,  as  it 
greatly  affects  a  question  lately 
brought  much  into  discussion 
respecting  the  validity  of  bap- 
tism as  ministered  by  dissent- 
ers, it  may  not  be  amiss 
to  state  the  sentiments  of 
bishop  Sandys  :  "  For  private 
"  baptism,"  he  says,  "  to  be 
"  ministered  by  women,  I  take 
"  neither  to  be  prescribed  nor 
"  permitted  ;   so   have   I   ever 


"  been  and  presently  am  per- 
"  suaded  that  some  of  them  be 
"  not  so  expedient  for  this 
"  church  now,  but  that  in  the 
"  church  reformed  they  may 
"  better  be  disused  by  little 
"  and  little."  Strype's  Life  of 
Whitgift,  p.  287.  The  subject 
was  again  mooted  at  Hampton 
Court,  when  lay-baptism  was 
defended  by  Bancroft,  then 
bishop  of  London  ;  and  so  it 
has  been  ever  held  by  the 
church  of  England,  as  by  the 
Western  churches,  and  indeed 
by  the  Greek  church  in  ge- 
neral. ''  Baptismus  quamvis 
"  in  schismate  coUatus  sine 
"  sacrilegio  instaurari  non  po- 
"  test."  Thorndike,  De  Jure, 
p.  368.] 

K  3 


134  Tlie  CItiirch  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1588.  is  no  duty  belonging  unto  them,  nor  any  publicly  to 
— !^be  given  them. 

vii.  That  it  is  not  lawful  to  be  ordained  by  them 
into  the  ministry,  or  to  denounce  either  suspensions 
or  excommunications  sent  from  them. 

viii.  That  it  is  not  lawful  to  rest  in  the  bishops 
deprivation  of  any  from  the  ministry,  except  (upon 
consultation  with  the  neighbour  ministers  adjoining 
and  his  flock)  it  seem  so  good  unto  them  ;  but  that 
he  continue  in  the  same,  until  he  be  compelled  to 
the  contrary  by  civil  force. 

ix.  That  it  is  not  lawful  to  appear  in  a  bishop's 
court,  but  with  protestation  of  their  unlawfulness. 

X.  That  bishops  are  not  to  be  acknowledged 
either  for  doctors,  elders,  or  deacons,  as  having  no 
ordinary  calling. 

xi.  That  touching  the  restoration  of  their  eccle- 
siastical discipline,  it  ought  to  be  taught  to  the 
people,  data  occasione,  as  occasion  should  serve. 

xii.  That  7iondum  (as  yet)  the  people  are  not  to 
be  solicited  publice  (publicly)  to  the  practice  of  the 
discipline  donee  (till)  they  be  better  instructed  in 
the  knowledge  of  it. 

xiii.  That  men  of  better  understanding  are  to  be 
allured  privately  to  the  present  embracing  of  the 
discipline  and  practice  of  it,  as  far  as  they  shall  be 
well  able,  with  the  peace  of  the  church. 

Likewise  in  the  same  assembly  the  aforesaid  Book 
of  Discipline  was  approved  to  be  a  "  draught  of  dis- 
cipline essential  and  necessary  for  all  times ;"  and 
certain  articles  (devised  in  approbation,  and  for  the 
manner   of  the    use    thereof)   were   brought    forth, 

X  Gen.  XXV.  22, 


CENT,  XVI.  <)/  Britnin.  135 

treated   of,  and  subscribed  unto,  by  Mr.  Cartwright  a.d.  1588. 

and  others,  and  afterwards  tendered  far  and  near  to — 

the  several  classes  for  a  general   ratification  of  all 
the  brethren. 

22.     Now    if    Rebecca    found    herself    strangely  The  Eng- 
afFected  when  twins  struggled  in  her  womb '^j  the,itstracted 
condition  of  the  English  church  must  be  conceived  J.'^^^j.'^* 
sad,  which  at  the   same   time  had  two  disciplines,  *'^^"p^^"^^- 
both  of  them  pleading  scripture  and  primitive  prac- 
tice, each  striving  to  support  itself  and  sui)press  its 
rival.       The    hierarchy,    commanded    by    authority, 
established  by  law,  confirmed   by  general  practice, 
and  continued  so  long  by  custom  in  this  land,  that 
had  one  at  this  time  lived  the  age  of  jNIethuselah 
he  could  not   remember   the  beginning  thereof  in 
Britain.     The  presbytery,  though  wanting  the  stamp 
of  authority,  claiming  to  be  the  purer  metal  founded 
by  some  clergymen,  favoured  by  many  of  the  gentry, 
and   followed   by  more   of   the   common   sort,  who 
being  prompted  with  that  natural  principle  that  the 
weakest    side    must   be   most   watchful,   what   they 
wiinted  in  strength  they  supplied  in  activity.     But 
what   won   them   most   rejiute  was   their  ministers' 
painful  preaching  in  po])ulous  places  ;  it  being  ob- 
served in  England  that  those  who  hold  the  helm  of 
the    pulpit    always    steer    people's    hearts    as    they 
please.     The  Avorst  is,   that  in   matters  of  fact  all 
relations  in  these  times  are  relations :  I  mean  much 
resent  of  party   and    interest,  to    the    prejudice    of 
truth.     Let  me  mind  the  reader  to  reflect  his  eye 
on  our  quotations,  the  margin,  in  such  cases,  being 
as  material  as  the  text,  as  containing  the  authors ; 
and  his  judgment  may,  according  to  the  credit  or 
reference  of  the  author  alleged,  believe   or  abate 

K  4 


136  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  isss.ft'om  the  reputation  of  the  report.  Let  me  add, 
_^i^!!!L.  that  though  it  be  a  lie  in  the  clock,  it  is  but  a 
falsehood  in  the  hand  of  the  dial,  when  pointing  at 
a  wrong  hour,  if  rightly  following  the  direction  of 
the  wheel  which  moveth  it.  And  the  fault  is  not 
mine,  if  I  truly  cite  what  is  false  on  the  credit  of 
another.  The  best  certainty  in  this  kind  we  are 
capable  of  is,  what  we  find  in  the  confessions  of  the 
parties  themselves,  deposed  on  oath,  taken  by  public 
notaries,  and  recorded  in  court.  For  such  who 
herein  will  fly  higher  for  true  intelligence  than  the 
Star-Chamber,  must  fetch  it  from  heaven  himself. 
The  success      23.  In  that  court  we  find  confessed  by  one  INIr. 

of  the  so-  1  .  1  p 

lemn  humi- J  ohnson  y,  (tormerly  a  great  presbyterian,  but  atter- 
the'minis-  wards,  it  scems,  falling  from  that  side,  he  discovered 
Nmtham  "^^^^7  passagcs  to  their  disadvantage,)  how  that 
ton.  «'  when  the  Book  of  Discipline  came  to  Northamp- 

"  ton  to  be  subscribed  unto,  there  was  a  general 
"  censuring  used  amongst  the  brethren  there,  as  it 
"  were  to  sanctify  themselves  ;  partly  by  sustaining 
"  a  kind  of  penance  and  reproof  for  their  former 
"  conformity  to  the  orders  of  the  church,  and  partly 
"  to  prepare  their  minds  for  the  devout  accepting  of 
"  the  foresaid  book :  in  which  course  of  censuring 
"  used  at  that  time  there  was  such  ripping  up,  one 
"  of  another's  life,  even  from  their  youth,  as  that 
"  they  came  unto  great  bitterness,  with  many  revil- 
"  ing  terms  amongst  themselves,  one  growing  there- 
"  by  odious  to  another,  and  some  did  thereupon 
"  utterly  forsake  those  kinds  of  assemblies."  O 
how  woful  the  vessel  of  the  English  church  !  whilst 
her  virrjperai,  her  ministers  and  under-rowers,  some 

y  See  England's  Scottizing  for  Discipline,  p.  88. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  137 

tugged  it   one  way,  and  others  towing  it  another,  a.  d.  1588. 

enough  ahnost  to  split  her  in  pieces  with  the  vio-  -^^ ^ 

lence  of  their  contrary  discipline. 

24.  Leave  we  them  for  a  while,  to  behold  how  The  con- 
the  popish  clergy  were  employed,  who  in  the  begin- Admoni. 
ning  of  this  year  were  as  busy  as  bees  newly  ready  "athoiks  of 
to  swarm.     A  book  was  set  forth  called  "  The  Ad-  England. 
"  monition,"  dispersed  amongst  catholics,  and  highly 
cried  up,  consisting  of  several  parts,  not  unfit  to  be 
here  recited  ^ : 

i.  The  authors  make  their  entrance  into  the  dis- 
course with  a  most  odious  and  shameful  declamation 
against  her  majesty,  stirring  up  her  subjects'  hearts 
to  contempt  of  her  highness,  as  being  one  odious  to 
God  and  man. 

They  threaten  the  nobility,  gentry,  &c.  with  loss 
of  all  their  goods,  their  lands,  their  lives,  and  with 
damnation  besides ;  except  that  presently,  upon  the 

z  [This  book,  entitled  "  An  this  pamphlet  of  cardinal  Al- 
"  Admonition  to  the  Nobility  len,  of  whom  she  speaks  in 
"  and  People  of  England,"  extremely  bitter  terms,  and 
gave  so  great  an  offence  to  the  issues  very  positive  orders  that 
queen,  that  she  ordered  her  if  any  of  her  subjects  possessed 
ambassador,  Val.  Dale,  to  ex-  a  copy  of  the  said  book  he 
postulate  with  the  prince  of  should  instantly  send  it  in  to  the 
Parma,  viceroy  of  the  Low  privy  council,  declaring  it  also 
Countries  for  the  king  of  to  be  treason  even  to  possess  the 
Spain.  Among  the  MSS.  pre-  same.  The  violence,  however, 
served  in  the  library  of  All  of  the  book,  deprived  it  of  all 
Souls  College,  Oxford,  is  a  influence  with  the  Romanists 
draught  of  a  very  full  pro-  in  England,  if  we  may  believe 
clamation,  drawn  up  on  the  the  author  of  the  pamphlet  en- 
expectation  of  the  Spanish  titled  "  The  Copy  of  a  Letter 
armada,  but  never  published.  "  sent  out  of  England,"  &c.  ; 
Thereinthequeen,givinga  very  the  generality  of  them  resolv- 
detailed  account  of  her  pro-  ing  to  neglect  it  and  defend 
ceedings  with  Spain  and  the  the  liberty  and  independence 
prince  of  Parma,  two  years  be-  of  their  country.  See  Somers' 
fore,  and  of  her  negotiations  for  Tracts,  L  433,  435,  &c.  and  the 
peace,  takes  occasion  to  notice  Harleian  Miscellany,  vol.  I.] 


138  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1588.  landing  of  the   Spaniards,  they  joined  themselves, 

■ and   all   their  forces,  men,   munition,  victuals,   and 

whatsoever  else  they  could  make,  with  their  catholic 
army,  forsooth,  for  the  words  be  these  :  "  If  you 
"  will  avoid,"  say  they,  "  the  pope's,  the  king's,  and 
"  other  princes'  high  indignation,  let  no  man,  of 
"  what  degree  soever,  abet,  aid,  defend,  or  acknow- 
"  ledge  her,"  &c. ;  adding,  that  "  otherwise  they 
"  should  incur  the  angel's  curse  and  malediction, 
"  and  be  as  deeply  excommunicated  as  any ;  because 
"  that  in  taking  her  majesty's  part  they  should  fight 
"  against  God,  against  their  lawful  king,  against 
"  their  country;  and  that,  notwithstanding  all  they 
"  should  do,  they  should  but  defend  her  highness 
"  bootless,  to  their  own  present  destruction  and 
"  eternal  shame." 

ii.  After  all  those  and  many  other  such  threats,  in 
a  high  and  military  style,  to  scare  fools  with,  then 
they  come  to  some  more  mild  persuasions,  and  pro- 
mise the  noblemen,  that  so  they  join  with  the  duke 
of  Parma  upon  the  receipt  of  their  Admonition,  they 
will  entreat  that  their  whole  houses  shall  not  perish. 
For  Parsons  did  instigate  the  English  cardinal  to 
swear  by  his  honour,  and  in  the  word  of  a  cardinal, 
that  in  the  fury  of  their  intended  massacre  there 
should  as  great  care  be  taken  of  every  catholic  and 
penitent  person  as  possibly  could  be,  and  that  he 
was  made  a  cardinal  of  purpose  to  be  sent  then 
into  England  for  the  sweet  managing  of  those 
affairs. 

iii.  Other  arguments  they  used,  drawn  from  the 
certainty  of  the  victory  :  as  that  all  the  protestants 
would  either  turn  their  coats,  copies,  arms,  or  fly 
away,  in  fear  and  torment  of  the  angel  of  God  pro- 
secuting them  ;  that  although  none  of  her  majesty's 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  139 

subjects  should  assist  the  Spaniards,  yet  their  own  a.d.^i^^88. 

forces  which  they  brought  with  them  were  strong  ~ 

enough,  their  provision  sufficient,  their  appointment 
so  surpassing  that  they  had  more  expert  captains 
than  her  majesty  had  good  soldiers,  all  resolute  to 
be  in  the  cause,  which  they  had  undertaken ;  that 
the  blood  of  all  the  blessed  bishops  shed  in  this 
land,  and  all  the  saints  in  heaven,  prayed  for  the 
Spaniards'  victory  ;  that  all  the  virtuous  priests  of 
our  country,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  had  stretched 
forth  their  sacred  hands  to  the  same  end ;  that  many 
priests  were  in  the  camp,  to  serve  every  spiritual 
man's  necessity ;  that  their  forces  w^ere  guarded  with 
all  God's  holy  angels,  with  Christ  himself  in  the 
sovereign  sacrament,  and  wdth  the  daily  most  holy 
oblation  of  Christ's  own  dear  body  and  blood  ;  that 
the  Spaniards  being  thus  assisted  with  so  many 
helps,  though  they  had  been  never  so  few,  they 
could  not  lose  ;  and  that  her  majesty  and  her  assist- 
ants, wanting  these  helps,  although  they  were  never 
so  fierce,  never  so  proud,  never  so  many,  never  so 
well  appointed,  yet  they  could  not  prevail.  "  Fear 
"  you  not,"  say  they  to  such  as  would  take  their 
part — "they  cannot."  And  thus  far  out  of  their 
said  Jesuitical  Admonition  ^. 

a  j^The  remarks  of  Watson  articles    and    answers,   and   he 

upon  this  book  are  subjoined  :  here  refers  to  the  sixth  article 

"  It  cannot  be  denied  but  that,  of   his  own  book,)   "  the  first 

"in    the   year    1588,    cardinal  "  part  of  which  booke  was  in- 

"  Allen  compiled  a  booke,  at  "  tituled  A  Declaralion  of  the 

"  the     importunate     suite     of  "  Sentence,   S^^c.  ;    the  second, 

"  father    Parsons,    impudently  "  An  Admonition  to  the  Nohili- 

"  urging  his  grace  thereto,  to  "  tie  and  People  of  England, 

"  have    been    published    when  "  c^-c.     Of  these  books  a  great 

"the    Spaniards    should    have  "number    were    printed;    but 

"  arrived,  for  the  same  intent  "  presently     upon    the    over- 

"  premised  in  the  article  ;" —  "  throw  of  the  great  invincible 

(Watson's  book  is  written  with  "  armado,  under  their  heroical 


140  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1588.      The  book  goes  under  the  name  of  cardinal  Allen, 

31  Eliz.  *^ 

though  the  secular  priests  say  he  was  but  the  cloak- 
father  thereof,  and  that  Parsons  the  Jesuit  made  it  ^. 
Others  conceive  it  equivocally  begotten,  as  the  result 
and  extract  of  several  brains.  No  doubt,  had  the 
Spanish  invasion  succeeded,  happy  he  who  could 
have  laid  claim  to  so  prophetical  a  piece ;  and  they 
would  have  fallen  out  as  the  two  harlots  about  the 
living  child,  who  should  have  been  parent  thereof  *=. 
Whereas  now,  on  the  miscarriage  of  their  great 
navy,  all  disclaimed  the  book  ;  and  Parsons  procured 
the  whole  impression  to  be  burnt,  (save  some  few, 
sent  abroad  beforehand  to  his  friends^,)  that  it 
might  not  remain  a  monument  of  their  falsehood. 
And  now  the  popish  priests,  some  lurked  here  in 
holes,  other  fled  into  foreign  parts,  their  confusion 
being  the  greater  for  their  former  confidence.  Thus 
Sisera  comes  off  the  more  coldly,  when  stripped  out 

"  Adlantado,  father  Parsons,  "  would  never  have  put  his 
"  for  shame  of  the  world,  and  "  name  to  it  (as  he  did  not) 
"  to  the  end  that  it  should  not  "  but  by  the  vehement  urging 
"  be  known  how  the  expecta-  "  of  this  Machiavellian  Jesuit's 
"  tion  of  the  false  prophet  was  "  persuasion,  which  full  sore 
"  frustrate,  procured  the  whole  "  repented  him  afterwarde  ; 
"  impression  to  be  burnt,  sav-  "  insomuch  that  when  he  heard 
"  ing  some  few  that  had  been  "  and  well  perceived  what  they 
"  sent  abroad  beforehand  to  "  went  about,  for  destroying 
"  his  friends,  and  such  as  had  "  and  ruinating  of  his  native 
*'  otherwise  been  conveyed  "  country,  he  wept  tenderly, 
"  away  by  the  printer  and  "  not  knowing  how  to  remedy 
"  others  in  secret-wise ;  some  "  it,  nor  much  less  how  to 
"  whereof,  ferrying  over  the  "  bridle  the  Jesuitical  inso- 
*'  main,  were  wafted  into  the  "  lencie."  Dodd  also,  in  his 
"  South  Ocean  shores."  Then,  Church  History,  disclaims  ear- 
in  a  note  to  the  margin  of  his  dinal  Allen's  authorship  of  this 
book,  he  observes,  "There  was  book,  II.  p.  ^4,] 
"  never  honest  man,  as  I  think,  ^  Watson's  Quodlibets,  pag. 
"  that  penned  such  a  treatise  240. 
"  as  this  book  here  mentioned  <^  i  Kings  iii. 
"  to  have  gone  under  the  good  ^  Watson  ut  prius. 
"  cardinal's    name,   who    sure 


CENT.  XVI.  f)f' Britain.  141 

of  the   varment   of  divers    colours^  wherewith    hisA. d.  1588. 

mother  had  arrayed  him,  in  her  fancy  running  faster 

than  the  wheels  of  her  son's  chariot  to  his  imaginary 
conquest. 

25.  This  year  died  Edwin  Sands  ^,  archbishop  of '^''e  death 

•'  of  Ldwin 

York,  born  in  Lancashire  of  worshipful  parentage,  sands, 
bred  in  Cambridge,  banished  to  Germany ;  after  this  of  Vork. 
promoted  to  be  bishop  of  AVorcester,  then  succeeded 
Grindal  in  London  and  York,  an  excellent  and  pain- 
ful preacher,  and  of  a  pious  and  godly  life,  which 
increased  in  his  old  age ;  so  that  by  a  great  and 
good  stride,  whilst  he  had  one  foot  in  the  grave,  he 
had  the  other  in  heaven.  He  was  buried  in  South- 
well ;  and  it  is  hard  to  say  whether  he  was  more 
eminent  in  his  own  virtues,  or  more  happy  in  his 
flourishing  posterity  s. 

26.  The  next  year  produced  not  any  great  church  ^^|;^^'.*J^"^ 
matters  in  itself,  but   was  only  preparatory  to  the  lys  discre- 
ripening  of  business  and  raising  the  charges  against 

the  principal  patrons  of  nonconformity.  Indeed 
archbishop  Whitgift,  according  to  his  constant  cus- 
tom and  manner,  repaired  daily  to  the  council-table 
early  in  the  morning,  and  after  an  usual  apprecation 
of  a  "  good-morrow"  to  the  lords,  he  requested  to 
know  if  there  were  any  church  business  to  be 
debated ;  and  if  the  answer  were  returned  in  the 
afiirmative,  he  stayed  and  attended  the  issue  of  the 
matter ;  but  if  no  such  matter  appeared,  he  craved 
leave  to  be  dispensed  withal,  saying,  "Then,  my 
"  lords,  here  is  no  need  of  me,"  and  departed ; — a 

e  Judg.  V.  30.  the    Appendix.       Clarke,    the 

f  [July  10,  1588.]  puritan,  has  also  inserted  a  life 

S   [See  some  account  of  him  of  this  bishop  in  his  Martyro- 

in    Strype's    Whitgift,   p.  286,  logy.    See  Lives  of  Thirty-two 

who  has  printed  his  epitaph  in  E^nglish  Divines,  &c.  p.  6.] 


142  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1588.  commendable    practice,    clearing    himself   from    all 
'—  aspersions  of  civil  pragmaticalness,  and  tending  much 

to  the  just  support  of  his  reputation. 
Articles  27-  On   the  first  of  September  ]\Ir.  Cartwright, 

agalns^t  Mr.  l>9-chelor  in  divinity,  was  brought  before  her  majes- 
Cartwright.  ^y'^  commissioncrs,  there  to  take  his  oath,  and  give 

in  his  positive  answer  to  the  following  articles  ^  : 

i.  "  Imprimis,  We  do  object  and  articulate  against 
"  him,  that  he,  being  a  minister,  (at  least  a  deacon,) 
"  lawfully  called  according  to  the  godly  laws  and 
"  orders  of  this  church  of  England,  hath  forsaken, 
"  abandoned,  and  renounced  the  same  orders  eccle- 
"  siastical,  as  an  Antichristian  and  unlawful  manner 
"  of  calling  unto  the  ministry  or  deaconship. 

ii.  "  Item,  That  he,  departing  this  realm  into 
"  foreign  parts  without  license,  as  a  man  discon- 
"  tented  with  the  form  of  government  ecclesiastical 
"  here  by  law  established,  the  more  to  testify  his 


^  The  copy  of  these  articles  "■  miswrit   Aclon    in  the   tran- 

was  found  by  a  friend  in  Mr.  "  script ;    and    at    article     the 

Travers    his     study    after    his  "  thirteenth,    the    last    clause 

death,  who  as  kindly  commu-  "^  there  is  made  a  new  article 

nicated  as  I  have  truly   tran-  "  in  the  said  JMS.,  being  set  in 

scribed  them.  [Upon  this  paper  "  the  margin  thus  :   '14.  Item, 

Strype  remarks,  *'  I  forbear  to  "  that  he,  in  a  lecture  at  Co- 

"  set    down    the    rest    of   the  "  ventry,  in   Mr.  Fen's   place, 

"  articles,  being  very  correctly  "  upon    Psalm    cxxii.,    where 

"  transcribed    in    Dr.   Fuller's  "  there  is  mention  of  thrones, 

"  Church  History,  (from  a  copy  "  laboured  to   teach   the    doc- 

"  of  them  found   in  Travers's  "  trine     of    the    presbyteries : 

"  study,  and  communicated  to  "  and  urging  the  discipline,  he 

"  that  author,)  as  I  have  found  "  affirmed  the  want  thereof  to 

"  by   comparing    them    in    his  "  be  the  cause  why  some  for- 

"  printed  book  with  the  arch-  "  sook   our   church,   and    that 

"  bishop's  MS.,  an  original  of  "  enemies   and    papists    would 

"  them  :    only   in    article    the  "■  not  come  near  her.'  "     Life 

"fourth,   in    the   archbishop's  of  Whitgift,  p.  337.     Oxf.  8vo 

"MS.,     the    name    Axton     is  edit.  vol.  ii.  p.  24.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain .  143 

"  dislike  and  contempt  thereof,  and  of  the  manner  A.  d,  1588. 

"  of  his  former  vocation  and   ordination,  was  con--^ '— 

*'  tented  in  foreign  parts  (as  at  Antwerp,  JMiddel- 
*'  burgh,  or  elsewhere)  to  have  a  new  vocation, 
"  election,  or  ordination,  by  imposition  of  hands 
"  unto  the  ministry,  or  unto  some  other  order  or 
"  degree  ecclesiastical,  and  in  other  manner  and 
"  form  than  the  laws  ecclesiastical  of  this  realm  do 
"  prescribe.  Let  him  declare  upon  his  oath  the 
*'  particular  circumstances  thereof. 

iii.  "  Item,  That  by  virtue  or  colour  of  such  his 
"  later  vocation,  election,  or  ordination,  becoming  a 
"  pretended  bishop  or  pastor  of  such  congregation 
"  as  made  choice  of  him,  he  established,  or  procured 
"  to  be  established,  at  Antwerp  and  at  Middelburgh, 
"  among  merchants  and  others  her  majesty's  sub- 
*' jects,  a  certain  consistory,  seminary,  presbytery,  or 
"  eldership  ecclesiastical ;  consisting  of  himself,  (being 
"  bishop  or  pastor,  and  so  president  thereof,)  of  a 
"  doctor,  of  certain  ancients,  seniors,  or  elders  for 
"  government  ecclesiastical,  and  of  deacons  for  dis- 
*'  tributing  to  the  poor. 

iv.  "  Item,  That  the  said  eldership,  and  the  autho- 
"  rity  thereof,  certain  English-born  subjects  were 
"  called,  elected,  or  ordained  by  imposition  of  hands 
"  to  be  ministers  or  ecclesiastical  doctors,  (being  not 
"  of  that  degree  before,)  as  Hart,  Travers,  Grise,  or 
'*  some  of  them  ;  and  some  that  were  also  ministers 
"  afore,  according  to  the  orders  of  the  church  of 
"  England,  (as  Fenner,  Acton,)  were  so  called;  and 
*'  other  English  subjects  were  also  called,  and  like- 
"  wise  ordained  elders  ;  and  some  others  were  or- 
"  dained  deacons,  in   other  manner  and  form  than 


144  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1588."  the  laws  ecclesiastical  of  the  realm  do  prescribe 

31  Eliz. 

"  or  allow  ot. 

V.  "  Item,  That  such  eldership  so  established, 
"  under  the  presidentship  of  him  the  said  Thomas 
"  Cartwright,  had  used  (besides  this  authority  of 
"  this  vocation,  and  ordination  of  officers  ecclesias- 
"  tical)  the  censures  and  keys  of  the  church,  as 
*'  public  admonition,  suspension  from  the  supper, 
"  and  from  execution  of  offices  ecclesiastical,  and 
"  the  censures  of  excommunication ;  likewise  autho- 
"  rity  of  making  laws,  decrees,  and  orders  ecclesias- 
"  tical,  and  of  dealing  ^dth  the  doctrine  and  man- 
"  ners  of  all  persons  in  that  congregation,  in  all 
"  matters  whatsoever,  so  far  as  might  appertain  to 
"  conscience. 

vi.  "  Item,  That  he,  the  said  Thomas  Cartwright, 
"  in  the  public  administration  of  his  ministry  there 
"  among  her  majesty's  subjects,  used  not  the  form 
'^  of  liturgy  or  Book  of  Common  Prayer  by  the 
"  laws  of  this  land  established,  nor  in  his  govern- 
'*  ment  ecclesiastical  the  laws  and  orders  of  this 
"  land,  but  rather  conformed  himself  in  both  to  the 
"  use  and  form  of  some  other  foreign  churches. 

vii.  *'  Item,  That  since  his  last  return  from  beyond 
"  the  seas,  being  to  be  placed  at  Warwick,  he  faith- 
"  fully  promised,  if  he  might  be  but  tolerated  to 
"  preach,  not  to  impugn  the  laws,  orders,  policy, 
"  government,  nor  governors  in  this  church  of  Eng- 
"  land,  but  to  persuade  and  procure,  so  much  as  he 
"  could,  both  publicly  and  privately,  the  estimation 
"  and  peace  of  this  church. 

viii.  "  Item,  That  he,  having  no  ministry  in  this 
"  church,  (other  than  such  as  before  he  had  forsaken, 


CENT.  XVI.  ()f  Britain.  145 

"and   still   contlemneth  as  unlawful,)  and   without  a.  d.  1588. 

"  any  license,  as  law  requireth,  he  liatli   since  taken  — '— 

'*  upon  him  to  preach   at  Warwick,  and  at  sundry 
"  other  places  of  this  realm. 

ix.  "  Item,  That  since  his  said  return,  in  sundry 
"  private  conferences  with  such  ministers  and  others 
"  as  at  sundry  times  by  word  and  letter  have  asked 
"  his  advice  or  opinion,  he  hath  shewed  mislike  of 
"  the  laws  and  government  ecclesiastical,  and  of 
"  divers  parts  of  the  liturgy  of  this  church ;  and 
"  thereby  persuaded,  and  prevailed  also  with  many 
"  in  sundry  points,  to  break  the  orders  and  form  of 
"  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  who  observed  them 
"  before,  and  also  to  oppose  themselves  to  the  go- 
"  vernment  of  this  church,  as  himself  well  knoweth 
"  or  verily  belie veth. 

X.  "  Item,  That  in  all  or  most  of  such  his  sermons 
"  and  exercises  he  hath  taken  occasion  to  traduce 
"  and  inveigh  against  the  bishops,  and  other  go- 
"  vernors  under  them,  in  this  church. 

xi.  ^'-  Item,  That  he  hath  grown  so  far  in  hatred 
"  and  dislike  towards  them,  as  that  at  sundry  times, 
"  in  his  prayer  at  sermons,  and  namely,  preaching  at 
'*  Banbury  about  a  year  since,  in  such  place  as  others 
"  well  disposed  pray  for  bishops,  he  prayed  to  this 
"  or  like  effect :  '  Because  that  they,  which  ought  to 
*'  be  pillars  in  the  church,  do  bend  themselves 
"  against  Christ  and  his  truth,  therefore,  O  Lord, 
"  give  us  grace  and  power,  all  as  one  man,  to  set 
"  ourselves  against  them.'  And  this  in  effect,  by 
"  way  of  emj)hasis,  he  then  also  rej^eated. 

xii.  '■''Item,  That  preaching  at  sundry  times  and 
"  places,  he  usually  reacheth  at  all  occasions  to 
"  deprave,   condemn,    and    impugn    the    manner    of 

FULLER,  VOL.  V.  L 


146  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1588."  ordination  of  bishops,  ministers,  and  deacons  ;  sun- 

-^ '—  "  dry  points  of  the  polity,  government,  laws,  orders, 

*'  and  rites  ecclesiastical,  and  of  the  public  liturgy 
"  of  the  church  of  England,  contained  in  the  Book 
"  of  Common  Prayer ;  as  namely,  the  use  of  the 
"  surplice,  the  interrogatories  to  godfathers,  &c.  in 
"  the  name  of  the  infants,  the  cross  in  baptism,  the 
"  rinof  in  marriage,  the  thankso-iviuff  after  child- 
"  birth,  burials  by  ministers,  the  kneeling  at  com- 
"  munion,  some  points  of  the  litany,  certain  collects 
"  and  prayers,  the  reading  of  portions  of  scripture 
*'  for  the  epistle  and  gospel,  and  the  manner  of 
"  singing  in  cathedral  churches  and  others. 

xiii.  "  Item,  That  preaching  at  the  baptizing  of 
"  one  of  Job  Throgmorton's  children,  he  spoke  much 
"  of  the  unlawfulness,  and  in  derogation  of  the 
"  government,  polity,  laws,  and  liturgy  ecclesiastical 
"  of  this  realm  ;  and  to  the  justification  of  a  govern- 
"  ment  by  elderships  in  every  congregation,  and  by 
"  conference  and  synods  &c.  abroad,  as  divine  insti- 
"  tutions  commanded  by  Christ,  and  the  only  lawful 
*'  church  government ;  seeking  to  prove  and  esta- 
"  blish  such  elderships  out  of  that  w^ord  in  one  of 
*'  the  Psalms,  where  thrones  are  mentioned  ^ 


'   [Travers    and    Cartwright  was  it   with  them.     They  and 

were  the  first  who,  following  their  followers  shortly  after  be- 

Beza,    made    the    presbyterian  gan  to  assert  that  "  without  this 

platform   a   third  note  of  the  "  discipline   there   can   be    no 

church,  "as  necessary  a  nole  "true  religion,"  (Register,  p. 

"  as  either  the  word  or  sacra-  68  ;)   that   "  they   that    reject 

"  menis,"  T.  C,  Second  Reply,  "  this  discipline  refuse  to  have 

p.  53.    And  as  men,  when  once  "  Christ  reign  over  them,  and 

they    leave    the    pale    of    the  "  deny  Him,   in  effect,  to  be 

church,  are  never  certain  how  "  their    King  or   their  Lord." 

far  they  shall  be  carried  along  T.  C.  I.  220,  and  Table  Pref. 

by  the  current  of  their  folly,  so  to  Demon.      See  §.  xxv.] 


CENT.  XVI.  '    of  Britairt.  147 

xiv.  '^ Itenii  That,  by  toleration  and  impunity,  he  did  a.d.  1588. 

.          .                          .         ^^  VAvA. 
"  grow  so  confident,  and  witlial  imj^lacablo  against  -" 

"  the  laws,  government,  and  orders  of  this  church 

"  of  Eno'land,  that  he  could  not  endure  Mr.  Bourd- 

"  man  and  others  (preaching  sundry  times  at  War- 

"  wick)  to  speak  in  defence  thereof,  but  took  upon 

"  him   to   confute,  in  sundry  sermons   there,   these 

"  things  which  the  said   Bourdman   had  truly  and 

"  dutifully  in  that  behalf  spoken  and  delivered. 

XV.  '■'■Item,  That  in  his  sermons  at  Warwick  and 
"  elsewhere,  within  the  said  time,  he  often  delivered 
"  many  frivolous,  strange,  and  undiscreet  positions : 
"  as  namely,  that  to  kneel  down  and  pray  when  a 
*'  man  comes  into  the  church,  or  pray  there  pri- 
"  vately,  was  but  to  offer  the  sacrifice  of  fools ;  that 
"  it  was  requisite  all  the  hearers  that  were  able 
"  should  stand  upon  their  feet  during  sermons ;  and, 
"  discoursing  about  women  and  their  childbirth,  &c., 
"  did  speak  thereof  so  indiscreetly  and  offensively, 
"  that  sundry  of  them  in  great  grief  had  conspired 
"  to  have  mischieved  him  with  stones  in  the  open 
"  streets. 

xvi.  "  Item,  That  by  his  persuasions,  privately  and 
"  publicly  delivered,  sundry  persons  in  and  about 
"  Warwick  were  appointed  to  impugn,  both  ini 
"  words  and  deeds,  the  laws,  orders,  and  rites 
*'  prescribed  by  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer ;  inso- 
"  much  as  both  his  own  wife,  by  his  procurement 
"  and  consent,  refused  after  childbirth  to  come  and 
"  give  thanks  in  such  place  of  the  church,  and  in 
"  that  solemn  manner,  as  thereby  is  prescribed ;  and 
"  some  other  women  also  of  that  town,  by  such  jier- 
"  suasion  and  example,  did  use  the  like  contempt. 

xvii.  "  Item,  That  sundry  times,  or  at  least  once, 
L  2 


148 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


A.D.  15.S.S, 
^  r  Eliz. 


when  he  communicated  at  the  Lord's  Supper 
there,  he  sat,  or  stood  upon  his  feet ;  and  divers 
others,  induced  by  his  persuasions  and  example, 
both  then  and  at  other  times  did  the  hke ;  and 
that  at  other  times  there,  or  in  other  places  where 
he  hath  communicated,  both  himself  and  others 
(as  he  had  appointed  or  persuaded  afore)  did  walk 
along,  and  receive  the  sacrament  of  the  minister 
as  they  passed  by  him. 

xviii.  *^Item,  That  for  these  and  such-like  disorders 
he  was  presented  to  the  bishop  of  Wigorne,  his 
ordinary ;  before  whom,  being  convented  in  the 
consistory  there,  he  simke  to  the  justification  and 
upholding  of  such  doing  of  his,  and  of  others ;  and 
there  very  publicly  and  offensively  affirmed  and 
disputed,  'That  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  &c. 
is  not  established  by  law.' 

xix.  "  Item,  That  when  by  authority  from  the  said 
bishop,  for  his  contempt  he  was  suspended  from 
preaching,  et  ah  omni  functione  ministerii,  he 
appealed  from  the  said  suspension,  yet  did  not 
prosecute  Avithin  a  year  after,  whereby  (the  cause 
being,  according  to  law,  remitted  again  to  the 
bishop)  he  the  said  Thomas  Cartwright,  according 
to  the  former  proceedings,  falling  again  into  the 
sentence  of  suspension,  (which  was  also  intimated 
and  made  known  unto  him,)  nevertheless,  in  con- 
tempt of  the  authority  ecclesiastical,  he  hath 
preached  at  Warwick,  Coventry,  and  elsewhere 
since  the  said  time. 

XX.  "  Item,  When  one  of  his  men-servants  had 
committed  fornication,  and  gotten  a  bastard  in 
his  house,  he,  taking  upon  him  the  authority  of 
the   ordinary,  did   a])point   unto  the  delin(|uent  a 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  149 

"  public    form    of  penance    or   satisfaction,    in    St.  a.  0.1588. 

"  Mary's   Church   at  Warwick,  and  caused   him   to— ^ 

"  perform  the  same. 

xxi.  ^^  Item,  Since  his  placing  at  Warwick,  he, 
"  with  others,  (at  such  times  as  they  thought  fit,) 
*'  have  agreed  to  have,  and  so  have  had,  divers 
"  iniblic  fasts,  without  the  queen  her  authority,  and 
"  have  invited  and  persuaded  both  sundry  persons 
"  to  be  there  present,  and  also  certain  to  preach,  to 
"  the  number  of  three,  four,  or  five,  successively  one 
"  after  another,  being  all  noted  to  be  such  as  mis- 
"  like  and  impugn  sundry  points  of  the  laws,  govern- 
"  ment,  and  liturgy  ecclesiastical  of  this  church  of 
"  England ;  in  which  sermons  both  he  the  said  Cart- 
"  Wright,  and  such  others  also  as  then  jn-eached,  did 
*'  impugn  and  inveigh  against  the  present  laws, 
"  government,  polity,  and  liturgy  ecclesiastical  of 
"  this  church  of  England. 

xxii.  ''Item,  That  from  time  to  time,  since  his 
"  abode  in  Warwick,  by  his  practice  and  dealing,  he 
"  hath  nourished  a  faction  and  heart-burning  of  one 
*'  inhabitant  there  against  another,  severing  them  in 
*'  his  own  and  his  followers'  speeches,  by  the  names 
"  of  '  the  godly,'  or  '  brethren  favouring  sincerity,' 
"  and  '  the  profane.' 

xxiii.  "  Item,  That  he  doth  know,  or  credibly 
"  heard,  who  were  the  penners,  printers,  or  some  of 
"  the  dispersers  of  the  several  libels,  going  under 
"  the  name  of  '  IMartin  INIar-Prelate,'  of  '  The  De- 
"  monstration  of  Discipline,'  of  '  Diotrcphes,'  and 
"  such-like  books,  before  it  was  known  to  authority ; 
"  and  yet,  in  favour  of  such  and  contempt  of  good 
"  laws,  did  not  manifest  the  same  to  any  who  had 
"  authority  to  punish  it. 

L  3 


350  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1588.      xxiv.  "  Itern^  That  beine*  asked  his  opinion  of  such 

31  Lliz.  °  * 

"  books,  he  answered  thus  in  effect,  or  something 

"  tending-  tliis  way,  viz.  (meaning  the  bishops  and 
"  others  there  touched)  would  not  amend  by  grave 
"  books  and  advertisements,  and  tlierefore  it  M^as 
"  meet  they  should  thus  be  dealt  with,  to  their 
"  further  reproach  and  shame. 

XXV.  '■'■Item,  That  for  and  in  the  behalf  of  the 
"  church  of  England,  he  penned,  or  procured  to  be 
"  penned,  all  or  some  part  of  a  little  book,  intituled 
*'  in  one  part  Disciplina  EcclesicB  sacra  Verbo  Dei 
"  descripta,  and  in  the  other  part  Disciplina  S?/- 
"  nodica  ex  Ecclcsiarum  usu.  Sec. ;  and  after  it  was 
"  perused  by  others,  whom  he  first  acquainted  there- 
*'  with,  he  recommended  the  same  to  the  censures 
■'  and  judgments  of  moe  brethren  (being  learned 
'*  preachers)  and  some  others,  assembled  together 
"  by  his  means  for  that  and  other  like  purposes ; 
"  which,  after  deliberation  and  some  alterations,  was 
"  by  them  or  most  of  them  allowed  as  the  only 
"  lawful  church  government,  and  fit  to  be  put  in 
"  practice ;  and  the  ways  and  means  for  the  prac- 
"  tising  thereof  in  this  realm  were  also  then,  or 
'*  not  long  after,  agreed  or  concluded  upon  by 
"  them. 

xxvi.  "  Item,  That  for  the  better  and  more  due 
"  practice  of  it  within  the  space  of  these  seven,  six, 
"  five,  four,  three,  two,  or  one  year  last  past,  the 
"  said  Thomas  Cartwright  and  sundry  others  (as 
"  aforesaid,  according  to  former  appointment  and 
•'  determinations  by  them  made)  have  met  in  assem- 
"  blies  termed  synods,  more  general  (as  at  London 
"  at  terms  and  parliament  times,  in  Oxford  at  the 
"  act,  in  Cambridge  at  the  times  of  commencement, 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  151 

"  and  Stourbridge  fair)  and  also  more  particular  and  a.d.  1590. 

"  provincial  synods,   and  at   classes    or    conierences — ^ 

"  of  certain  selected  ministers,  in  one  or  moe  places 
"  of  sundry  several  shires ;  as  Warwick,  Nortliamp- 
"  ton,  Rutland,  Oxford,  Leicester,  Cambridge,  Nor- 
"  folk,  Suffolk,  Essex,  and  others. 

xxvii.  "  Item,  That  at  such  synods  and  confer- 
"  ences  it  hath  been  concluded,  that  all  the  minis- 
'-  ters  which  should  be  received  to  be  either  of  the 
"  said  general  synods,  or  of  any  more  particular  and 
"  provincial,  or  of  a  classis  or  conference,  should 
"  subscribe  to  the  said  discipline,  that  they  did 
"  allow  it,  would  promote  it,  practise  it,  and  be 
"  governed  by  it.  And  according  to  the  form  of 
"  a  schedule  hereunto  annexed,  or  such  like,  both 
*'  he  the  said  Thomas  Cartwright  and  many  others, 
"  at  sundry  or  some  general  assemblies,  as  at  pro- 
"  vincial  and  at  several  conferences,  have  within  the 
"  said  time  subscribed  the  same,  or  some  part 
"  thereof. 

xxviii.  "  Item^  That  at  such  synods  and  all  other 
"  assemblies  a  moderator  of  that  meeting  was  first 
"  by  him  and  them  chosen,  according  to  the  pre- 
"  scription  of  the  said  book  ;  and  at  some  of  such 
"  meetings  and  assemblies,  amongst  other  things,  it 
"  was  resolved  and  concluded,  that  such  particular 
"  conferences  in  several  shires  should  be  erected ; 
"  how  many  persons,  and  with  what  letters  from 
**'  every  of  them,  should  be  sent  to  the  general 
"  assembly  ;  and  that  one  of  them,  at  their  coming 
"  home  to  their  conference,  should  make  known  the 
"  determinations  of  the  general  assembly,  to  be  by 
"  every  of  them  followed  and  put  in  practice ;  which 
"  course  in  sundry  places  of  this  reahn  hath,  within 

L  4 


152  Tim  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.1590. "  the  time  aforesaid,  been  accordingly  followed  and 
— ^ "  performed. 

xxix.  "  Item,  That  he,  with  others,  in  some  such 
"  classis  or  conference,  or  in  a  synod  or  more  general 
"  assembly  holden,  did  treat  and  dispute,  among 
"  other  points,  these  six  Articles  contained  in  an- 
"  other  schedule  annexed,  and  set  down  their  reso- 
'•  lution  and  determination  of  them. 

xxx.  "  Item,  That  he,  with  others  assembled  in 
"  such  a  general  assembly  or  synod  at  Cambridge, 
"  did  conclude  and  decree,  (as  in  another  schedule 
*'  annexed,  or  in  some  part  thereof  is  contained,) 
"  which  decrees  were  made  known  afterwards  at 
"  Warwick  to  sundry  classes  there  by  his  means 
"  assembled,  and  allowed  also  by  them  then  met 
"  tog-ether  in  the  same  or  like  form. 

xxxi.  "  Item,  That  all  such  several  meetings, 
"  synods,  and  conferences,  within  the  said  time, 
"  many  other  determinations,  as  well  what  should 
"  be  done  and  performed,  or  omitted,  as  also  what 
"  should  be  holden  consonant  to  God's  word,  or 
'*  disagreeing  from  it,  have  been  set  down  by  the 
"  said  Thomas  Cartwright  and  others :  as  namely, 
"  that  all  admitted  to  either  assembly  should  sub- 
"  scribe  the  said  book  of  discipline,  holy  and  synod- 
"  ical ;  that  those  who  were  sent  from  any  con- 
"  ference  to  a  synod  should  bring  letters  fiduciary, 
"  or  credence  ;  that  the  last  moderator  should  write 
"  them ;  that  the  superscription  thereof  should  be 
"  to  a  known  man  of  the  assembly  then  to  be 
"  holden  ;  that  no  book  made  by  any  of  them  should 
"  be  put  in  print,  but  by  consent  of  the  classis  at 
"  least ;  that  some  of  them  must  be  earnest,  and 
*'  some  more   mild   and   temperate,  whereby  there 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  153 

may  bo  both  of  the  spirit  of  Elias  and  Ehzeus ;  a.d  1590. 

that  all  admitted  amongst  them  should  subscribe — 

and  jiromise  to  conform  themselves  in  their  pro- 
ceedings, administration  of  sacraments,  and  of 
disci[)line,  to  the  form  of  that  book ;  and  that 
they  would  subject  themselves  to  the  censuring 
of  the  brethren,  both  for  doctrine  and  life;  and 
lastly,  that  upon  occasion  when  any  of  their 
brethren  shall  be  sent  by  them  upon  affairs  of 
the  church,  (as  to  the  great  meetings,  parliament, 
&;c.)  they  all  would  bear  their  charges  in  common  ; 
that  there  might  be  no  superiority  amongst  them, 
and  that  the  moderatorship  (as  it  happened)  is  not 
a  superiority  or  honour,  but  a  burden  ;  that  no 
profane  writer,  or  any  other  than  canonical  scrip- 
ture, may  be  alleged  in  sermons  ;  that  they  should 
all  teach  that  the  ministry  of  those  who  did  not 
preach  is  no  ministry,  but  a  mere  nullity ;  that  it 
is  not  lawful  to  take  any  oath,  whereby  a  man 
may  be  driven  to  discover  any  thing  penal  to 
himself  or  to  his  brother,  especially  if  he  be  per- 
suaded the  matter  to  be  lawful  for  which  the 
punishment  is  like  to  be  inflicted  ;  or  having 
taken  it  in  this  case,  need  not  discover  the  very 
truth ;  that  to  a  bishop  or  other  officer  ecclesias- 
tical (as  is  used  now  in  the  church  of  England) 
none  obedience  ought  to  be  given,  neither  in 
appearing  before  them,  in  doing  that  which  they 
command,  nor  in  abstaining  from  that  which  they 
inhibit ;  that  in  such  places  as  the  most  of  the 
people  favoured  the  cause  of  sincerity,  eldership 
should  warily  and  ^^dsely  be  placed  and  esta- 
blished, which  consistory  in  some  places  hath  been 
either  wholly  or  in  part  erected  accordingly — yea, 


154  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1590. "  in  some  colleges  in  the  university,  as  he  knoweth, 

3  5  Kliy 

— •  "  hath  heard,  or  verily  believeth." 

These  Articles  were  tendered  to  Mr.  Cartwright 
in  the  consistory  of  Paul's,  before  John  Aylmer, 
bishop  of  London,  the  two  lord  chief  justices,  justice 
Gawdy,  sergeant  Puckering,  (afterwards  lord  keeper,) 
and  attorney-general  Popliam. 
Mr.  Cart-        Qg,  Thesc  comuiissioners  did   not  move  him  to 

wnght  re- 

fusetii  to     give   in   his   answer,   the   rather  because   the    chief 


answer  on 


oath.  points  in  the  interrogatories  were  delivered  in  gene- 

ral terms  unto  him ;  and  they  severally  assured  him 
on  their  credits  that  by  the  laws  of  the  realm  he 
was  to  take  his  oath,  and  to  answer  as  he  was 
required  ^.  But  JNIr.  Cartwright  desired  to  be  borne 
withal,  pleading  that  he  thought  he  was  not  bound 
by  the  laws  of  God  so  to  do.  Hereupon  he  was 
sent  to  the  rest  of  his  brethren  to  the  Fleet,  where 
he  secretly  and  silently  took  up  his  lodging ;  many 
admiring  at  the  panic  peaceableness,  and  so  quiet  a 
calm,  where  so  violent  a  tempest  was  feared  to 
arise  ^ 

wigington       29.  Souic  soon  after  expected  the  appearance  of 

liis  riddling    ,  ,  .  •  .  , 

words.  the  presbyterian  party,  accountnig  it  more  valour  to 
free  than  to  keep  their  friends  from  prison ;  the 
rather  because  of  a  passage  in  a  letter  of  Mr.  Wig- 
ington's  to  one  Mr.  Porter,  at  Lancaster : 

"  Mr.  Cartwright  is  in  the  Fleet,  for  the  refusal 


k   [See  Cartwright's  letters  stronger  evidence  of  their  dis- 

during    his    imprisonment,   in  honesty  and  prevarication  needs 

Strype's  Annals,  IV.  p.  48,  sq. ;  be  given  than  what  is  betrayed 

and  tlie  reasons  urged  by  the  by  their  own  statements,] 

puritans  against  taking  the  oath  '  [Bancroft's  Dangerous  Po- 

just  mentioned,  ib.  p.  86.    No  sitions,  p.  94. J 


CKNT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  155 

"  of  the  oath,  as  I  hear  ;  and  Mr.  Knewstubs  is  sent  a.d.  1590. 

"  for,  and   sundry  worthy  mnnsters  are  disquieted, 

"  who  have  been  spared  long :  so  that  we  look  for 
"  some  bickering  ere  long,  and  then  a  battle,  which 
"  cannot  long  endure  '"." 

Words  variously  expounded,  as  men's  fancies 
directed  them.  Some  conceived  that  this  bickering 
and  battle  did  barely  import  a  passive  conflict, 
wherein  their  patience  was  to  encounter  the  })ower 
of  their  adversaries,  and  to  conquer  by  suffering : 
parallel  to  the  apostle's  words,  WitJiotd  were  fight- 
ings'^, meaning  combats  to  wrestle  with  in  many 
difficulties  opposing  their  proceedings.  Others  ex- 
pounded the  words  literally,  not  of  a  tame  but  wild 
battle,  and  of  some  intended  violence,  as  if  shortly 
they  would  muster  their  hitherto  invisible  forces  to 
storm  the  fleet,  and  rescue  their  friends  therein. 
A  third  sort  beheld  Wigington,  the  writer  of  these 
words,  as  one  but  of  the  soberer  sort  of  distracted 
men ;  and  therefore  in  vain  do  staid  heads  make 
serious  comments  on  light  men's  random  expres- 
sions, where  the  knot  is  neither  to  be  untied  nor 
cut,  but  cast  away. 

30.  Now  the  principal  pillars  of  the  presbyterian  Tiie  king 

1     .  .  .  .  1111*^'"  Scots 

party,  being  some  in  restraint,  more  in  trouble,  all  writes  iu 
in  fear,  applied  themselves  by  their  secret  solicitors  jhe"uoiicou 
to  James  king  of  Scotland,  and  procured  his  letter  f*'"""**^ 
to  the  queen  in  their  behalf,  seconded  with  another 
to  the  same   effect.     They  conceived  so   potent  a 
petitioner   must    needs    prevail,    especially    in    this 
juncture  of  time,  the  queen  having  lately  (since  she 


n>   [Biuicroft's  Dangerous  Positions,  p.  142.] 
n   2  Cor.  vii.  5. 


156  The  Church  HisUmj  book  ix. 

A.D.  rsQi.  put    his    mother  to   death)   adulced   him   with   fair 

^  language  and  kind  carriage.     This  letter  was  sent 

to  one  Mr.  Johnson,  a  Scotch  niercliant  in  London, 
by  him  presented  to  the  queen,  ])erused  by  her 
majesty,  and  remitted  to  her  privy  council.  But 
behold  the  tenor  thereof: 


"  Right  excellent,  high,  and  mighty  Princess,  our 
"  dearest  Sister  and  Cousin,  in  our  heartiest  manner 
"  we  recommend  us  unto  you.  Hearing  of  the 
"  apprehension  of  Mr.  Udall  and  Mr.  CartAvright, 
"  and  certain  ministers  of  the  evangel  within  your 
"  realm,  of  whose  good  erudition  and  faithful  travels 
"  in  the  church  we  hear  a  very  credible  commenda- 
"  tion,  howsoever  that  their  diversity  from  the 
"  bishops  and  others  of  your  clergy,  in  mattere 
"  touching  them  in  conscience,  hath  been  a  mean 
"  by  their  dilation  to  work  them  your  misliking; 
"  at  this  present  we  cannot  (weighing  the  duty 
"  which  w^e  owe  to  such  as  are  afflicted  for  their 
"  conscience  in  that  profession)  but  by  our  most 
■•'  effectuous  and  earnest  letter  interpone  us  at  your 
"  hands  to  stay  any  harder  usage  of  them  for  that 
"  cause ;  requesting  you  most  earnestly  that  for  our 
"  cause  and  intercession  it  may  please  you  to  let 
"  them  be  relieved  of  their  present  strait,  and  wliat- 
"  soever  further  accusation  or  pursuit  depending  on 
"  that  ground,  respecting  both  their  former  merit 
"  in  setting  forth  the  evangel,  the  simplicity  of  their 
"  conscience  in  this  defence  which  cannot  well  be 
"  their  let  by  compulsion,  and  the  great  slander 
"  which  could  not  fail  to  fall  out  upon  their  further 
"  straiting  for  any  such  occasion  :  which  we  assure 
"  us  your  zeal  to  religion,  besides  the  expectation 


CENT,  XVI. 


of  Britain.  157 


"we  have   of   your   p-ood-will  to   pleasure   us,  will  ad.  1591. 

"  willingly   accord    to    our   request  ;    liavmg    such 

"  proofs,  from  time  to  time,  of  our  like  disposition 
"  to  vou  in  any  matters  which  you  recommend  unto 
"  us.  And  thus,  right  excellent,  right  high  and 
*'  mighty  Princess,  our  dear  Sister  and  Cousin,  we 
*'  commit  you  to  God's  protection. 
"  Edinburgh,  June  12.  1591." 

This  letter  prevailed  little  with  the  queen,  nor  do 
I  find  that  the  king  of  Scotland  was  discontented 
thereat ;  princes  politicly  understanding  their  mutual 
secret  language,  (not  to  say  silent  signs,)  whose 
desires  to  foreign  princes  for  private  persons  carry 
this  tacit  reservation,  if  it  may  stand  with  the  con- 
veniency  and  pleasure  of  him  to  whom  it  is  written. 
Besides,  they  know  by  their  own  experience  that 
often  there  is  the  least  of  themselves  in  their  own 
letters,  as  granted  merely  for  quietness'  sake,  to 
satisfy  the  ini])ortunity  of  others. 

31.  One  word  from  archbishop  Whitgift  befriended  ^^\-  p';'." 

i  ~  wnglit  dis- 

IVIr.  Cartwrio-ht  more  than  both  the  letters  from  the  fiiaiged  the 

n         •  1  •    Star-Cham- 

king   of  Scotland.     This  prelate,   reflecting   on   his  ber  by  the 

abilities  and  their  ancient  acquaintance  in  Trinity  J,"  arch- 
College,  and  remembering  (as  an  honourable  adver- !(yjJ"Pifj 
sary)  they  had  brandished  pens  one  against  another, 
and  considering  that  both  of  them  now  were  well 
stricken  in  years,  and,  some  will  say,  fearing  the 
success  in  so  tough  a  conflict,  on  Mr.  Cartwright's 
general  promise  to  be  quiet,  procured  his  dismission 
out  of  the  Star-Chamber  and  prison  wherein  he  was 
confined.""     Henceforward  Mr.  Cartwright  became 

nn  [He  retired  to  a  private     quietly   and   grew   ricli,"   says 
living  at  Warwick  ;  '^' and  lived     Isaac  Walton  ;  Life  of  Hooker, 


158 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


A.D.  159 
34  Eliz. 


A  preface 
to  the  en- 
suing dis- 
course. 


I-  very  peaceable,  not  that  he  began  to  desert  the 
-cause,  but  the  cause  him;  the  original  state  of  the 
point  of  nonconformity  being  much  altered  and  dis- 
guised from  itself,  and  many  state  businesses,  (which 
Mr.  Cartwright  disclaimed,)  by  turbulent  spirits 
shuffled  into  it. 

32.  Next  followeth  the  just  death  of  Hacket,  for 
his  damnable  blasphemy ;  and  I  am  sensible  of  a 
sad  dilemma  concerning  the  same  ° :  for  not  relating 
the  story  will  be  inter]>reted  favouring  of  him,  and 
wronging  the  truth ;  relating  it  may  be  accounted 
gracing  his  impieties  by  recording  them.  And  seeing 
it  is  hard  for  one  soul  to  attend  two  things  at  once, 
some  will  say  no  author  can  write  and  detest,  nor 
reader  peruse  and  detest,  these  his  blasphemies  so 
at  the  same  instant,  but  that  there  will  be  a  short 
interval  betwixt  them,  yet  long  enough  to  have 
piety  wounded  therein.  However,  arming  ourselves 
and  others  with  caution  premised,  we  enter  on  this 
sorrowful  subject,  the  rather  because  the  best  may 
be  bettered  by  the  worst  of  men,  w^hen  considering 
that  natural  corrujition  in  their  hearts  is  not  less 
headstrong,    but    more   bridled.      Think    not    that 


p.  210.  Then  he  was  more  for- 
tunate than  most  men,  for  he 
liad  grown  rich  by  agitation 
already.  See  SutclifFe,  on  Ec- 
clesiastical Discipline,  Pref. 
He  died  in  1602.] 

o  [For  a  full  history  of 
Hacket's  impieties,  see  a  tract 
entitled,  "  Conspiracy  for  pre- 
"  tended  Reformation  ;  viz. 
"  Presbyterial  Discipline  :  a 
"  Treatise  discovering  the  late 
"  Designments  and  Courses 
*'  held  for  Advancement  there- 


of by  William  Hacket,  yeo- 
man, Edmund  Coppinger, 
and  Henry  Arthington, gent., 
out  of  others  depositions,  and 
their  own  letters,  writings, 
and  confessions,  upon  exa- 
mination, &c.  Written  by 
Richard  Cosin,  LL.D.,  Dean 
of  the  Arches,  and  Otticial 
Principal  to  Archbishop 
Whitgift.  Published  by  au- 
thority, 1592.  Reprinted  at 
London,  1699."] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  159 

Hacket   and   his    two    coni])anions  were  worse  by  a.  0.1591. 

nature  than  all  others  of  the  English  nation.      I  tell -^ 

you  nay,  for  if  CJod's  restraining  grace  be  taken 
from  us,  we  shall  all  run  unto  the  same  excess  of 
riot. 

33.  This  William  Hacket  was  born  in  Oundle  The  cha- 
in Northamptonshire  ;  of  so  cruel  and  fierce  aiiacket. 
nature,  that  he  is  reported  to  have  bit  off  and  eat 
down  the  nose  of  his  schoolmaster ;  a  maltster  by 
trade,  which  calling  being  too  narrow  for  his  active 
soul,  he  undertook  to  be  a  discoverer  of  and  in- 
former against  recusants,  an  employment  which 
often  procured  his  admittance  into  the  presence  of 
great  persons  when  his  betters  were  excluded  ;  one 

of  a  bold  and  confident  nature,  who,  though  but  an 
invited  guest  where  many  clergymen  were  present, 
would  always  presume  to  say  grace  and  pray  before 
them ;  a  great  stickler  for  the  Geneva  discipline, 
being  very  great  with  Wigington  and  other  the 
most  violent  of  that  faction,  always  inculcating  that 
some  extraordinary  course  must  be  presently  taken 
with  the  obstructers  thereof.  Once  he  desperately 
took  his  dagger,  and  violently  struck  the  same  into 
the  picture  of  the  queen,  aiming  at  her  heart  therein 
by  proportion.  He  pretended  also  to  revelations, 
immediate  raptures  and  discourses  with  God,  as  also 
to  buffetings  of  Satan,  attesting  the  truth  thereof 
with  most  direful  oaths  and  execrations. 

34.  One    argument    Hacket    used    to    allege,   to  His  mon- 
prove  his  own  invulnerability — because  he  proffered  m'.mraTd" 
leave  to  any  one  to  kill  him  that  would;  the  cun- '"'''^"'"^^^' 
ning  impostor  knowing  full  well  that  it  was  death 

for  any  to  do  it,  being  secured  from  such  violence, 
not  by  any  secret  quality  in  himself,  but  by  the  good 


160  The  Church  History  book  ix* 

A.D.i59i.laws  of  the  queen,  against  whom  he  so  bitterly  in- 

-J '—  veighed.      He   railed    also    against    the   archbishop 

Whitgift  and  chancellor  Hatton,  with  other  of  the 
privy  counsellors,  pretending  himself  sent  from  hea- 
ven to  reform  church  and  state,  and  bring  in  a  new 
discipline  into  both  by  extraordinary  means. 
Proclaimed  35.  Aftcrwards  he  gave  it  out  that  the  principal 
prophets*!*'  spirit  of  the  IVIessias  rested  in  him,  and  had  two 
attendants — Edmund  Coppinger  (the  queen's  ser- 
vant, and  one  of  good  descent)  for  his  prophet  of 
mercy,  and  Henry  Arthington  (a  Yorkshire  gentle- 
man) for  his  prophet  of  judgment  p.  These  pro- 
claimed out  of  a  cart  in  Cheapside  that  Christ  was 
come  in  Hacket,  with  his  fan  in  his  hand,  to  purge 
the  godly  from  the  wicked,  with  many  other  pre- 
cedent, concomitant,  and  consequent  impieties ;  for 
who  can  otherwise  conceive  but  such  a  prince-prin- 
cipal of  darkness  must  be  proportionably  attended 
with  a  black  guard  of  monstrous  opinions  and 
expressions  ?     They  cried  also,  "  Repent,  England, 


P  [According  to  Stow,  these  "  by  Broken  Wharf,"   (where 

two  persons  offered  to  anoint  Hacket  then  resided  ;)  "  and  if 

Hacket,  as  king ;  but  he,  tak-  "  they  will  not  believe  it,  let 

ing    Coppinger    by  the    hand,  "  them   come    and    kill   me   if 

said   to  him,    "You    shall  not  "  they   can;    for    as    truly    as 

"  need    to    anoint    me,   for    I  "  Christ  Jesus  is  in  heaven,  so 

"  have  been   already  anointed  "  truly  is   he    come  to  judge 

"■  in  heaven  by  the  Holy  Ghost  "  the  world."     Then  Coppin- 

"  himself !"     Then   Coppinger  ger    said    it    should    be    done 

asked  him   what   his    pleasure  forthwith,  and  therefore  went 

was   to   be    done.      "  Go  your  forward,  and    Arthington   fol- 

"  way,  both,"  quoth  he.  "  and  lowed ;  but  ere   he   could  get 

"  tell   them    in   the    city   that  down  the  stairs,  Coppinger  had 

"  Christ  Jesus   is    come   with  begun   below  in  the  house  to 

"  liis  fan  in  his  hand  to  judge  proclaim  news  from  heaven  of 

"  the  earth  ;  and  if  any  man  exceeding   great   mercy, — that 

"  ask  you  where  he  is,  tell  him  Christ  Jesus  was  come  !  Chron. 

"he    lies    at  Walker's   house,  761.] 


Cent.  xvt.  of  Britain.  161 

"repent!" — good    counsel   for   all   that   heard,   butA.  0.1591; 
best  for  them  that  gave  it.     With  much  ado  (such    ^ 


the  press  of  people)  they  got  home  to  Broken  Wharf, 
where  Hacket  lay,  and  next  day  all  three  were  sent 
to  Bridewell,  though  some  conceived  Bedlam  the 
more  proper  place  for  them ;  and  some  days  after, 
Hacket  being  solemnly  arraigned  before  the  judges 
at  Westminster,  demeaned  himself  very  scornfully, 
but  was  found  guilty  on  a  double  indictment,  and 
condemned. 

36.  During  his   imprisonment  in  Bridewell,  one  An  advent 
Dr.  Childerly,  rector  of  St.  Dunstan's  in  the  East,  ^ore  boid- 
repaired  unto  him,  and  proffered  to  gripe  arms  with  Sf^^^etion. 
him,  and  try  the  wrists,  which   Hacket  unwillingly 
submitted  to  do,  though  otherwise  boasting  himself 
invulnerable  and  impenetrable.     The  doctor,  though 

with  some  difficulty,  (Hacket  being  a  foul,  strong 
lubber,)  yet  fairly  twisted  his  wrists  almost  to  the 
breaking  thereof,  but  not  to  the  bowing  of  him  to 
any  confession  or  remorse  ;  whilst  the  other  pre^ 
sently  hasteth  home  to  his  house,  locked  himself  up 
in  his  study,  and  with  fasting  and  prayer  begged 
pardon  of  God  for  his  pride  and  boldness,  that 
having  neither  promised  precept  or  precedent  for 
his  practice  in  scripture,  he  should  adventure  on 
such  a  trial,  wherein  justly  he  might  have  been 
Worsted  for  his  presumption  ;  and  discreet  men  will 
more  commend  the  relenting  tenderness  of  his  heart, 
than  the  sleight  and  strength  of  his  hands  ^. 

37.  Hacket  was  brought  to   the  gibbet  near  to  Hackee's 
the  cross  in  Cheapside,  and  there  belched  forth  most 

q  [He  was  a  person  of  some  questered  by  the  Long  Parlia- 
eminence  ;  living,  unfortu-  ment.  See  Lloyd's  JMenioirs, 
nately,  long  enough  to  be  se-     p.  510.  Wood's  Fast.  1. 165.] 

FULLER,  VOL.   V.  M 


16!2  The  Chiirch  History  book  ix, 

A.  D.  1591.  blasphemous  execrations,  till  the  halter  stopped  bis 
— — 1-^  breath.  I  know  what  one  lawyer  pleadeth  in  his 
behalf,  though  it  be  little  credit  to  be  the  advocate 
of  such  a  client, — "  that  the  bishops  had  made  him 
"  mad  with  persecuting  of  him."  Sure  it  was,  if  he 
were  mad,  not  any  learning,  but  over-much  pride 
made  him  so ;  and  sure  it  is,  he  discovered  no 
distemper  in  other  particulars,  personating  at  least- 
wise, if  not  performing,  all  things  with  a  composed 
gravity.  But  there  is  a  madness  which  physicians 
count  most  uncurable,  and  call  it  modesta  inscmia, 
when  one  is  mad  as  to  one  particular  point  alone, 
whilst  serious  and  sober  in  all  other  things.  Whe- 
ther Hacket  were  not  touched  with  this  or  no,  I 
will  not  decide,  but  leave  him,  to  stand  or  fall,  to 
his  own  master.  Coppinger  died  in  Bridewell, 
starving  himself,  as  it  is  said,  by  wilful  abstinence. 
Arthington  (the  prophet  of  judgment)  lived  to 
prove  the  object  of  God's  and  the  queen's  mercy, 
and  printed  a  plain  book  of  his  hearty  repentance ; 
happy  herein,  that  he  met  with  a  general  belief  of 
his  serious  sorrow  and  sincere  amendment. 
This  acci-  38.  Tliis  busiucss  of  Hacket  happened  very  un- 
happily im-  seasonably  for  the  presbyterians.  True  it  is,  they 
a^alntt  him  ^^  cordially  detested  his  blasphemies  as  any  of  the 
tt e noncon- gpjg(,Qpr^j  party;  and  such  of  them  as  loved  Hacket 
the  nonconformist,  abhorred  Hacket  the  heretic, 
after  he  had  mounted  to  so  high  a  pitch  of  impiety. 
But  (besides  the  glutinous  nature  of  all  aspersions 
to  stick  where  they  light)  they  could  not  wash  his 
odium  so  fast  from  themselves,  but  their  adversaries 
were  as  ready  to  rub  it  on  again.  This  rendered 
them  at  this  time  so  hated  at  court,  that  for  many 
months  together  no  favourite  durst  present  a  peti- 


ag; 
fonnists, 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  163 

tion  in  their  behalf  to  the  queen,  being  loth  to  lose  a.  d.  1591. 

himself  to  save  others,  so  offended  Avas  her  majesty '— 

against  them. 

39-  The  same  dav  wherein  Hacket  was  executed,  ^i'- stone, 

•'  liy  his  con- 

Thomas  Stone,  parson  of  Warkton  in  Northampton- fession,  dis- 

shire,  (by  virtue  of  an  oath  tendered  him  the  day  the  meeting 

before  by  the  queen's  attorney,  and  solemnly  taken  'l^^^.^^  ^"j^'j^ 

bv  him,)   was  examined  by  the   examiner  for  the  ^^^  '^ircum- 

■'  •'  stances 

Star-Chamber  in  Gray's  Inn,  from  six  of  the  clock  thereof. 
in  the  morning  till  seven  at  night,  to  answer  unto 
thirty -three  Articles,  but  could  only  effectually 
depose  to  these  which  follow,  faithfully  by  me 
transcribed  out  of  a  confession  written  with  his  own 
hand,  and  lately  in  my  possession. 

1st  Interrog.  —  Who  and  how  many  assembled 
and  met  together  with  the  said  defendants,  T.  C, 
H.  E.,  E.  S.,  &c.,  all  or  any  of  them,  where,  when, 
how  often,  &c.  ? 

The  Answer  of  T.  S.  to  the  Interrog.  touching  the 
circumstances  of 

I.  Places  of  Meeting. 

I.  Greater, 

i.  In  London:  I.  Travers's  house;  2.  Egerton's ; 
3.  Gardener's ;  4.  Barber's. 

ii.  In  Cambridge,  St.  John's  College. 

II.  Less. 
i.  In  Northampton  :  1.  Johnson's  house  ;  Snape's. 
ii.  In  Kettering,  or  near  it:   1.  Damme's  house; 
2.  Stone's. 

II.  Times. 

1.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  last  parliament. 
2.  Sundry  times  at  London,  how  oft  he  remembered 
not.      3.  Sundry  times   at   Northampton,   how  oft 

M  2 


161  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1591.  not  remembered.     4.  Smidry  times   at  Kettering, 

how    not    remembered.       5.   Once    at    Cambridge, 

about  Stourbridge  fair  time  was  one  or  two  years. 

6.  Once  at  London,  a  little  before  Mr.  CartA\Tight 

was  committed,  at  Mr.  Gardener's  house.     7.  Once 

at    this    deponent's    house,    the    certain   time    not 

remembered. 

III.  Persons. 

I.  Meeting  in  London,  jointly  or  severally. 

Mr.  Travers,  Mr.  Chark,  Mr.  Egerton,  Mr.  Gar- 
dener, Mr.  Barber,  Mr.  Brown,  Mr.  Somerscales, 
Mr.  Cartwright,  Mr.  Chatterton,  Mr.  GifFord,  Mr. 
Allen,  Mr.  Edmunds,  ^Ir.  Gillebrand,  Mr.  Culver- 
w^ell,  Mr.  Oxenbridge,  Mr.  Barbon,  Mr.  Fludd,  this 
deponent. 

II.  Meeti7ig  in  Cambridge. 

JNIr.  Chatterton  and  others  of  Cambridge,  Mr. 
Cartwright,  ISIr.  Gifford,  JNIr.  Allen,  JVIr.  Snape,  Mr. 
Fludd,  this  deponent. 

III.  Meeting  in  Northampton,  jointly  or  severally. 

Mr.  Johnson,  Mr.  Snape,  Mr.  Sibthorpe,  INIr. 
Edwards,  IVIr.  Fludd,  this  deponent,  Mr.  Spicer,  JNIr. 
Flesh  ware,  INIr.  Harrison,  ]\Ir.  Littleton,  INIr.  Wil- 
liamson, JNIr.  Rushbrook,  Mr.  Baxter,  Mr.  Barbon, 
Mr.  King,  ]Mr.  Proudtome,  Mr.  Massey,  Mr.  Brad- 
shaw. 

IV.  Meeting  at  Kettering,  or  near  to  it. 

Mr.  Dammes,  Mr.  Pattison,  Mr.  Okes,  Mr.  Bax- 
ter, Mr.  Rushbrook,  Mr.  Atkinson,  Mr.  Williamson, 
Mr.  Massey,  this  deponent. 

2.nd  Interrog. — Who  called  these  assemblies,  by 
what  authority,  how,  or  in  what  sort  ? 

Answer. — That  he  knew  not  by  whom  they  were 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  165 

called,  neither  knew  he  any  other  authority  therein,  a.  D.  1591. 

.  ,  P  .  .    .  '     34Eliz. 

saving  a  voluntary  or  tree  motion,  one  giving  another 

intelligence  as  occasion  served,  sometimes  by  letters, 
and  sometimes  by  word  of  mouth. 

37'd  Interrog. — Who  were  moderators  in  them, 
and  what  their  office  ? 

Ansiver. — That  he  remembered  not  who  were 
moderators  in  any  meeting  particularly,  saving  once 
at  Northampton,  when  Mr.  Johnson  was  admo- 
nished, and  that  was  either  himself  or  Mr.  Snapes, 
he  knew  not  well  whether. 

4>th  Interrog. — What  things  were  debated  in  those 
meetings  or  assemblies  ? 

Answer. — That  the  things  chiefly  and  most  often 
considered  of  in  those  assemblies  were  these  :  first, 
the  subscription  to  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer, 
how  far  it  might  be  yielded  unto,  rather  than  any 
should  forego  his  ministry;  secondly,  the  Book  of 
Discipline  was  often  perused,  discussed,  &c.;  thirdly, 
three  petitions  or  supplications  were  agreed  upon  to 
be  drawn — first,  to  her  majesty — secondly,  to  the 
lords  of  the  council — thirdly,  to  the  bishops.  The 
things  debated  of  in  particular,  he  remembered  not 
more  than  these :  first,  the  perfecting  of  the  Book 
of  Discipline,  and  purpose  to  subscribe  to  it  at 
Cambridge ;  secondly,  this  question  disputed,  whe- 
ther it  were  convenient  for  Mr.  Cartwrisfht  to  reveal 
the  circumstances  of  the  conference  a  little  before 
he  was  committed  ;  thirdly,  the  admonishing  of  Mr. 
Johnson  once  at  Northampton  ;  fourthly,  the  de- 
bating of  this  question,  whether  the  books  called 
Apocrypha  were  warrantable  to  be-  read  publicly  in 
the  church  as  the  canonical  scriptures. 

5th  Interrog. — Whether  any  censures  were  exer- 
m3 


166  The  Church  History  book  ix, 

A.D.  i59i.cisecl,   what   kinds,   when,   where,   upon    whom,   by 

34  Eliz. 

whom,  for  what  cause  ? 

Answer. — That  he  never  saw  any  censure  exer- 
cised, saving  admonition  once  upon  Mr.  Johnson  of 
Northampton,  for  miscarrying  himself  in  his  conver- 
sation, to  the  scandal  of  his  calling  ;  neither  was 
that  used  with  any  kind  of  authority,  but  by  a 
voluntary  yielding  unto  it,  and  approving  of  it,  as 
well  in  him  that  was  admonished  as  in  him  which 
did  admonish. 

Qth  Interrog. — Whether  any  of  the  said  defend- 
ants had  moved  or  persuaded  any  to  refuse  an  oath, 
and  in  what  case,  &c.  ? 

Answer. — That  he  never  knew  any  of  the  defend- 
ants to  use  words  of  persuasion  to  any  to  refuse  an 
oath ;  only  Mr.  Snape  sent  him  down  in  writing 
certain  reasons,  drawn  out  of  the  scripture,  which 
moved  him  to  refuse  the  general  oath  eoe  officio, 
which  I  stood  persuaded  that  he  sent  to  none  other 
end,  but  to  declare  that  he  refused  not  to  swear 
upon  any  contempt,  but  only  for  conscience  sake. 

I  have  insisted  the  longer  on  this  deposition, 
because  the  first  and  fullest  that  I  find  in  the  kind 
thereof,  containing  their  classes  more  formally  set- 
tled in  Northamptonshire  than  any  where  else  in 
England ;  for  as  the  west  part  of  that  shire  is  ob- 
served to  be  the  highest  place  of  England,  as 
appeareth  by  the  rivers  rising  there,  and  running 
thence  to  the  four  winds,  so  was  that  county  a 
probable  place  (as  the  middest  of  the  land)  for  the 
presbyterian  discipline,  there  erected,  to  derive  itself 
into  all  the  quarters  of  the  kingdom. 

4-0.  But  wdien  the  news  of  Mr.  Stone's  answer 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  167 

was  brought  abroad,  he  was  generally  censured  by  a.  d.  1591. 

those  of  his  party,   as    well   such    as  were  yet   at '— 

liberty,  conceiving  themselves  endangered  by  his 
discovery,  as  by  those  already  in  prison,  complaining 
that  he  added  affliction  to  their  bonds ;  yea,  his 
embracing  a  different  course  from  the  rest  cast  an 
aspersion  on  others  of  his  side,  as  less  sound  in 
judgment  or  tender  in  conscience,  because  peremp- 
torily concealing  what  he  thought  fitting  to  confess. 
Many  that  highly  esteemed  him  before,  hereafter 
accounted  him  no  precious  but  a  counterfeit  Stone ; 
so  that  he  found  it  necessary,  in  his  own  vindication, 
to  impart  the  reasons  of  his  confession  to  such  as 
condemned  him,  if  not  for  a  traitor,  at  least  for  a 
coward  in  the  cause  ^ : 

i.  He  judged  it  unlawful  to  refuse  an  oath,  limited  The  rea- 
and  bounded  within  the  compass  of  the  conferences,  Mr.  stone 

1.  -iif  ii»i  •   i.      i_       '  1        made  this 

bemg  required  beiore  a  lawiui  magistrate  ni  a  plea  confession 
for  the  prince  to   a  lawful   end,  1,  to  try  out  the  J^^^'^JJi?^ 
truth  in  a  doubtful  fact,  suspected  and  feared  to  be  ^''Pf ^'^'^'^'^ 

'  of  the  bre- 

dangerous  both  to  church  and  common  weal;  but  suchthren. 
was  that  oath  which  was  tendered  to  him,  ergo, 

ii.  He,  being  lawfully  sworn,  judged  it  unlawful 
to  be  mute,  much  more  to  speak  any  untruth. 

iii.  If  he  had  not  been  urged  by  oath  to  reveal, 
yet  did  he  judge  that  silence  unlawful  which  justly 
causeth  suspicion  of  evil,  as  of  treason,  rebellion, 
sedition,  &c. 

iv.  He  judged  that  concealment  unlawful  which 
was  not  only  scandalous,  but  also  dangerous,  as  this 
that  might  occasion  and  encourage  wicked  persons 
to  hide  their  complices  in  their  worst  attempts. 

q  Carefully  l)y  nio  trauscribeJ  out  of  his  own  letters  t(»  his 
friends. 

M  4 


168  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1591.      V.  lie  judged  that  the  clearing  of  a  doubtful  fact 

34  Eliz.  •         1         1  1  •  (»      1 

. requiretli  the  clearing  of  the  circumstances,  which 

cannot  be  cleared  till  they  be  known. 

vi.  He  judged  that  silence  unlawful  which  leaveth 
the  truth  friendless,  or  few  friends,  when  she  hath 
need  of  many. 

vii.  He  judged  it  a  point  or  note  of  puritanism 
for  any  to  stand  so  upon  the  integrity  of  their  own 
actions,  as  that  they  should  not  be  doubted  of,  sus- 
pected, examined,  censured,  &c. 

viii.  He  saw  no  probability  nor  possibility  in 
reason  to  have  the  circumstances  longer  concealed : 
1.  Because  many  of  them  are  already  made  known, 
partly  by  the  letters  and  writings  of  the  brethren  in 
bonds,  Avhich  have  been  intercepted ;  partly,  also,  by 
certain  false  brethren  ;  and,  lastly,  by  certain  faithful 
but  weak  brethren,  whose  confessions  are  to  be  seen 
under  their  own  hands.  2.  Because  the  magistrate 
is  resolutely  set  to  search  them  out.  And,  lastly, 
because  divers  are  to  be  called,  and  to  answer  upon 
oath,  which  approve  not  the  concealing  of  them. 

ix.  He  judged  the  inconveniences  which  come  by 
the  concealing  to  be,  if  not  moe  in  number,  yet 
greater  in  weight,  and  more  inevitable  than  those 
that  come  by  revealings ;  which,  as  it  may  appear  in 
some  of  the  former  reasons  alleged  to  prove  the 
unlawfulness  of  concealing,  so  may  it  further  appear 
in  these  that  follow. 

X.  The  good  name  and  credit  of  any  (of  a  minister 
much  more)  ought  to  be  dearer  to  him,  and  to  all 
those  that  love  him,  than  his  liberty,  &c.;  but  by 
this  concealing,  the  credit  of  many  good  ministers  is 
eclipsed. 

xi.  This  concealing  hath  caused  the  continuance 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britain.  169 


of  some  in  bonds  and  imprisonment  hitherto,  would  a.  D.  1591. 

cause  others  to  be  committed,  and  withal  causeth ■ 

suspicion  of  evils,  treason,    rebellion,  sedition,  &c., 
and  thereby  also  evil  report,  slander,  &c. 

xii.  As  by  concealing  the  aforesaid,  suspicion  and 
slander  lietli  still  upon  us  all  which  have  been  in 
these  actions,  so  doth  the  same  grow  every  day  more 
grievous  by  the  wicked  attempts  of  hypocrites  and 
profane  persons,  which  carry  the  name  of  puritans, 
precisians,  &c.,  as  those  of  late  in  Cheapside. 

xiii.  Although  it  be  very  like  that  the  revealing 
will  bring  punishment  upon  the  rest,  yet  is  it  not 
certain  nor  necessary,  but  the  concealing  doth  cer- 
tainly cause  suspicion,  slander,  &c. 

xiv.  The  concealing  argueth  either  some  guilti- 
ness, or  at  the  least  some  faiutness  and  fear  to  be 
seen  or  known  in  these  actions. 

XV.  It  leaveth  the  truth  (which  now  travaileth) 
poor,  naked,  destitute,  and  void  of  friends  ;  it  casteth 
the  care,  credit,  countenance,  defence,  and  mainte- 
nance of  it  upon  those  few  which  are  in  prison, 
which  ought  to  be  supported  and  maintained  by  all. 

xvi.  It  leaveth  the  burden  upon  eight  or  nine 
men's  shoulders,  which  ought  to  be  eased  by  many. 

What  satisfaction  this  gave  to  his  party  I  know 
not :  sure  I  am  the  bishops,  till  his  dying  day,  beheld 
him  as  an  ingenuous  man,  carrying  his  conscience 
vrith  the  reason  thereof  in  his  own  breast,  and  not 
pinning  it  on  the  precedent  of  any  other ;  where- 
upon they  permitted  him  peaceably  to  possess  his 
parsonage,  (being  none  of  the  meanest,)  though  he 
continued  a  stiff  nonconformist,  only  quietly  enjoy- 
ing his  own  opinion.     Indeed  he  was  a  downright 


170 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   IX. 


A.D.  1591 

34  Eliz. 


Synodical 
meetings 
finally 
blasted. 


Perkins' 
piety  pro- 
cures his 
peace. 


Natbaniel,  if  not  guilty  of  too  much  of  the  dove  in 
him — faulty  in  that  defect  wherein  more  offend  in 
the  excess,  not  minding  the  world  so  much  as 
became  a  provident  parent.  But  we  leave  him, 
when  we  have  told  the  reader  that  he  was  bred  a 
student  in  Christ  Church,  and  m  as  proctor  of  Oxford 
anno  1580  >■,  and  died  quietly  an  old  man,  anno  1617, 
at  Warkton  in  Northamptonshire. 

41.  Thus,  one  link  being  slipped  out,  the  whole 
chain  was  quickly  broken  and  scattered.  Stone  his 
discovery  marred  for  the  future  all  their  formal 
meetings,  as  classically  or  synodically  methodized. 
If  any  of  these  ministers  hereafter  came  together, 
it  was  for  visits,  not  visitations  ;  to  enjoy  them- 
selves, not  enjoin  others  orders  to  be  observed  by 
them. 

42.  Whereas  Mr.  Stone  confesseth  their  meeting 
in  Cambridge,  with  Mr.  Chatterton  and  others,  I 
find  some  of  these  others  elsewhere  specified  ^ ; 
namely,  Mr.  Perkins  and  Mr.  Thomas  Harrison, 
afterwards  the  reverend  vice-master  of  Trinity  Col- 
lege, both  of  them  concurring,  though  neither  of 
them  very  active  in  this  cause.  INIr.  Perkins,  what- 
soever his  judgment  was  in  point  of  church  disci- 
pline, never  publicly  meddled  with  it  in  his  preaching, 
and,  being  pressed  by  others  about  the  lawfulness  of 
subscription,  he  declined  to  manifest  his  opinion 
therein,  glad  to  enjoy  his  own  quiet,  and  to  leave 
others  to  the  liberty  of  their  own  consciences. 
Solomon's  observation  found  truth  in  him,  Whe^i  a 
man's  ways  please   the  Lord,  he   maketh   even   his 


r  Brian  Twyne  in  App.  Ant.  ^    Dr.    Bancroft's     English 

Ac.  Oxon.  [Wood,  F.  i,  120.]        Scottizing,  &c.  p.  89. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  171 

enemies   to   be   at  peace   unth   him  ^ ,    whose  pietyA.D  iisqi. 

procured  freedom  to  his  preaching  and  fair  respect ■ 

to  his  person,  even  from  those  who  in  affections 
differed  and  in  opinion  dissented  from  him ;  for  all 
held  Perkins  for  a  prophet — I  mean  for  a  painful 
and  faithful  dispenser  of  God's  will  in  his  word. 

43.  But  I  am  weary  of  writing  these  sad  dissen- Transition 
sions  in  our  church,  and  fain   would  pass   over  to  ^11^,^^^,°'*^ 
some  more  pleasing  subject ;   from  the   renting   of  ^'''''Ject- 
God's  church,  to  the  repairing  of  it ;  from  the  con- 
founding thereof,  to  the  founding   and  building  of 

some  eminent  place  for  learning  and  religion ;  but 
finding  none  of  that  nature  this  very  year  in  England, 
I  am  fain  to  seek  one  beyond  the  seas,  and  at  last 
have  lighted  on  the  university  and  college  of  Dublin, 
which  now  began  to  be  erected. 

44.  Anciently  Ireland  was  the  seminary  of  saints,  The  foun- 
people  from  all  parts  of  Christendom  repairing  thither,  ^u^ivershy^ 
there  to  find  and  thence  to  fetch  the  perfect  pattern ''^  ^"'^^"^• 
of  monastical  devotion.     Many  hundred  years  after, 
namely,  in  the  reign  of  king  Edward  the  Second, 
Alexander  Bicknor,  archbishop  of  Dublin,  obtained 
license  of  the  pope  to  erect  an  university  in  Dublin ; 

but  the  design  succeeded  not  according  to  his  desire 
and  others' expectation.  Now  at  the  last  the  same  was 
effected  by  royal  authority,  and  a  college  there  erected 
and  dedicated  to  the  holy  Trinity.  This  mindeth  me 
of  a  pleasant  passage  :  in  the  reign  of  king  Henry  the 
Eighth,  it  was  enjoined  that  all  churches  dedicated 
to  St.  Thomas  Becket  should  be  new  named,  and 
consigned  over  to  some  real  saint ;  now  whilst 
country  people  sat  in  consultation  what  new  saint 


t  Pre 


172  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  i59i.such  churches  should  assume,  being  divided  in  their 

_: !!l- opinions  to  whom  the  same  should  be  dedicated,  an 

old  man  gave  this  advice,  "  Even  dedicate  it  to  the 
"  holy  Trinity,  which  will  last  and  continue  when 
"  all  other  saints  may  chance  to  be  taken  away." 
T!!a  several      45.  Many  eminent  persons  concurred  to  advance 

benefactors 

thereto.  SO  wortliy  a  work ;  and  because  we  are  to  speak  of 
a  college  wherein  seniority  takes  place,  we  will  rank 
these  persons,  not  according  to  their  dignity,  but 
time  of  their  benefaction  " : 

i.  Henry  Usher,  then  archdeacon  of  Dublin,  bred 
in  Cambridge,  (afterward  archbishop  of  Armagh, 
and  uncle  to  James  Usher,  the  present  archbishop 
thereof,)  took  a  journey  with  much  danger  into 
England,  and  with  more  difficulty  procured  the 
mortmain  from 

ii.  Queen  Elizabeth,  who  graciously  granted  it, 
naming  the  corporation  Collegium  Sanctce  ac  Indi- 
viducB  Trinitatis,  ex  fundatione  Regince  Elizabetlice^ 
justa  Dublin. 

iii.  William  Cecil,  baron  of  Burleigh  and  treasurer 
of  England,  is  appointed  in  the  mortmain  first  chan- 
cellor of  the  university,  as  being  an  active  instru- 
ment to  procure  the  same. 

iv.  Sir  William  Fitz-Williams,  lord-deputy  of  Ire- 
land, whose  arms  are  deservedly  graven  over  the 
college  gate,  issued  out  his  letters  for  collection  to 
all  the  counties  in  Ireland,  to  advance  so  good  a 


^  [According  to  Parr,  James  afterwards    that     the     son     of 

Stanihurst,    Usher's    maternal  Henry  Usher,  mentioned  below, 

grandfather,  was  the  first  mover  should   have  succeeded  bishop 

in  this  business.     Parr's  Usher,  Bedell     in     the     provostship, 

p.  I.       See    also    Smith,   Vit.  Usher's  Lett.  p.  1 02.] 
Usserii,  p.  6.     It  was  proposed 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  17S 

design  ;  and  the  Irish,  though  then  generally  papists,  a.  d.  1591. 

were  very  bountiful  thereunto.  -^ 

V.  ]\Ir.  Luke  Chaloner,  fellow  of  Trinity  College 
in  Cambridge,  received  and  disbursed  the  monies, 
had  the  oversight  of  the  fabric,  which  he  faithfully 
procured  to  be  finished,  meriting  that  verse  inscribed 
on  his  fair  monument  in  Dublin  College  chapel, 
built  by  his  daughter  "  : 

Conditur  hoc  tiimulo  Chahneri  trisfe  cadaver, 
Cujus  ope,  et  precihus,  conditur  ista  doiims. 

"  This  tomb  within  it  here  contains 
Of  Chaloner  the  sad  remains  ; 
By  whose  prayer  and  helping  hand, 
This  house  erected  here  doth  stand  y." 

vi.  The  mayor  and  aldermen  of  Dublin  bestowed 
on  the  college  the  site  thereof,  with  some  accom- 
modations of  considerable  grounds  about  it,  being 
formerly  a  religious  house  termed  Allhallows,  which 
at  the  suppression  of  abbeys  was  bestowed  on  their 
corporation. 

"  Since  married  to  the  arch-  "  among  themselves    the   sum 

bishop  of  Armagh.     [See  Parr's  "of  1800/.   to    buy  books    to 

Usher,  p.  14.]  "  furnish    the    library    of    the 

y     [A     circumstance     men-  "  university  of  Dublin."     Dr. 

tioned  by  Parr  in  his  Life  of  Challoner   and   the   celebrated 

Usher,   p.  9,  ought   not   to   be  James  Usher  had  the  disposal 

forgotten  :     "  that     after    the  of  this  sum,  and  by  a  strange 

"  English     forces    under    lord  coincidence  were  employed  in 

"  Montjoy    had    beaten     and  procuring  books  for  their  col- 

"  driven     out    the     Spaniards  lege  library  at  the  same  time 

*'  Avho  came  to  the  assistance  that   sir   Thomas    Bodley    was 

"  of  the  rebel  Irish  at  Kinsale,  buying  books  for  the  Bodleian. 

"  they  resolved  to   give  some  It  is  almost   needless    to  add, 

"  testimony  of  the  gallantry  of  that  they  furnished  each  other 

"  military  men,  and  that  due  mutual  assistance  in  their  ob- 

"  respect  which    they  had  for  jects.     See  also  Bernard's  Life 

"true  religion   and   learning;  of  Lusher,  p.  42,  ed.  1656.] 
"  to  promote  which  they  raised 


174  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1591.  vii.  Adam  Loftus,  fellow  of  Trinity  College  in 
— t — !^  Cambridge,  at  this  present  arclibislio})  of  Dublin  and 
chancellor  of  Ireland,  was  the  first  master  of  the 
college,  holding  it  as  an  honorary  title,  though  not 
so  much  to  receive  credit  by  as  to  return  lustre  to 
the  place  z. 

viii.  Sir  Wareham  Saint-Leger  was  very  bountiful 
in  paying  yearly  pensions  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
first  students  thereof,  before  the  college  was  en- 
dowed with  standing  revenues. 

ix.  Sir  Francis  Shane,  a  mere  Irishman,  but  good 
protestant,  was  a  principal  benefactor,  and  kept  this 
infant  foundation  from  being  strangled  in  the  birth 
thereof. 

X.  Robert  D'Eureux,  earl  of  Essex,  lord-lieutenant 
of  Ireland,  and  second  chancellor  of  this  university, 
bestowed,  at  the  entreaty  of  the  students  of  this 
college,  a  cannoneers  pay,  and  the  pay  of  certain 
dead  places  of  soldiers,  to  the  value  well-nigh  of 
four  hundred  pounds  a  year,  for  the  scholars'  main- 
tenance, which  continued  for  some  years. 

xi.  King  James,  that  great  patron  of  learning,  to 
complete  all,  confirmed  the  revenues  of  this  college 
in  j^crpetuum,  endowing  it  with  a  great  proportion 
of  good  land  in  the  province  of  Ulster. 

Thus,  through  many  hands,  this  good  work  at  last 
was  finished,  the  first  stone  whereof  was  laid  May  13, 
1591  ;  and  in  the  year  1593,  scholars  were  first 
admitted,  and  the  first  of  them  James  Usher  %  since 
archbishop  of  Armagh,  that  mirror  of  learning  and 
religion,  never  to  be  named  by  me  without  thanks 

z  [Of  whom,  see  the  Worthies,  »   [At  the  age  of  thirteen. 

III.  412.  Parr's  Usher,  p.  4.]         Parr's  Usher,  p.  4.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Dritcdn.  175 

to  him,  and  to  God  for  him.     Nor  must  it  be  for- a- r>- ^5')I• 
'  34  hivi. 

gotten,  that  what  Josephus  ^  reports  of  the  temple 

built  by  ITerod,  kut  eKelvov  tov  Kuipov  oiKoSo/ULOv/Jiei/ov 
Tov  vaov,  ra?  fxev  }']/j.€pa^  ou-^  veiv,  ev  oe  Tali?  vv^\  yivecrOai 
Tovg  o/uij3pou9  wg  jui]  KwXucrai  to  epyov,  "  during"  the 
"  time  of  the  building  of  the  temple  it  rained  not 
"  in  the  daytime,  but  in  the  night,  that  the  showers 
"  might  not  hinder  the  work," — I  say,  what  by  him 
is  reported  hath  been  avouched  to  me  by  witnesses 
above  exception,  that  the  same  happened  here,  from 
the  founding  to  the  finishing  of  this  college ;  the 
officious  heavens  always  smiling  by  day,  though 
often  M^eeping  by  night,  till  the  work  was  com- 
pleted. 

46.  The  whole  species  of  the  university  of  Dublin  The  addi- 

t.  1    '       j-i  '      T    •  J  ^tion  of  two 

was  tor  many  years  preserved  m  the  inaimduum  or  emissary 
this  one  college ;  but  since  this  instrument  hath  ^°*'*^^^- 
made  better  music,  when  what  ^^'as  but  a  monochord 
before  hath  got  two  other  smaller  strings  unto  it,  the 
addition  of  New  College  and  Kildare  Hall,  what 
remaineth,  but  that  I  wish  that  all  those  worthy 
divines  bred  therein  may  have  their  doctrine  drop 
as  the  rain,  and  their  speech  distil  as  the  dew,  as 
the  small  rain  upon  the  tender  herb,  and  as  the 
showers  upon  the  ffrass  ^. 

47.  Let  none  censure  this  for  a  digression  from  Dublin  a 
our  Church  History  of  England.     His  discourse  that  Cambridge. 
is  resident  on  the  son  doth  not  wholly  wander  from 

the  father,  seeing  none  will  deny  but  that  proles  is 
pars  parentis,  "  the  child  is  part  of  the  parent." 
Dublin  University  was  a  colonia  deducta  from  Cam- 
bridge, and  particularly  from  Trinity  College  ;  there- 
to Antiq.  Jud.  XV.  14.  c  Deut,  xxxii.  3. 


176  The  Church  History  book  iX. 

A.D.  i59i.in  (one  motive  perchance  to  the  name  of  it)  as  may 
— — ^—  appear  by  the  ensuing   catalogue   of   the    provosts 
thereof : 

i.  Adam  Loftus,  fellow  of  Trinity  College,  first 
provost. 

ii.  Walter  Travers,  fellow  of  the  same  college, 
second  provost. 

iii.  Henry  Alvey,  fellow  of  St.  John's  College  in 
Cambridge,  third  provost. 

iv.  Sir  William  Temple,  (who  wrote  a  learned 
comment  on  Ramus,)  fellow  of  King's  College,  fourth 
jDrovost. 

V.   [William  Bedell,  fellow  of  Emmanuel  '^.J 

vi.  Joseph  Mede,  fellow  of  Christ  College  in  Cam- 
bridge, chosen  provost,  but  refused  to  accept  it. 

vii.  William  Chapel,  fellow  of  the  same  college, 
seventh  provost. 

Know  also  that  this  university  did  so  Cantabrize, 
that  she  imitated  her  in  the  successive  choice  of  her 
chancellors,  the  daughter  dutifully  approving  and 
following  the  judgment  of  her  mother  therein. 
The  death  48.  This  year  was  fatal  to  no  eminent  protestant 
Faunt. "  divine,  and  I  find  but  one  of  the  Romish  persuasion 
dying  therein, — Arthur,  shall  I  say  ?  or  Laurence 
Faunt  *^,  born  of  worshipful  parentage  at  Folston  in 

<5   [I  do  not  understand  why  375-6.      Bedell,  however,  soon 

Fuller  has  omitted  the  greatest  grew    sick     of    the    reception 

name    of    all,    bishop    Bedell,  which  he  met  with.      See  his 

Usher     induced     sir    William  Letters,  ibid.  p.  387.] 

Temple  to  resign,  on  the  score  ^   [See  an  account  of  him  in 

of  infirmity,  and   would  have  Wood's  Athen.  I.  247,  who  has 

put  in  Sibbs,  the  puritan ;  but  derived   his   information    from 

not  succeeding  in  this.  Bedell  Alegambe's    Bibliotheca    Spc. 

was  chosen,  who  at  that  time  Jesu,  p.  538.      See  also  Mori, 

was  thought  to  belong  to  the  Hist.  Soc.  Jesu,  p.  17.] 
party.      See    Usher's    Letters, 


CENT.  XVI.  ofBritam.  177 

Leicestershire,  bred  in  INferton  College  in  Oxford,  a. 0.159^. 
whence  he  fled  (with  Mr.  Potts,  his  tutor)  to  Lou-  ■^t_!!L. 
vain,  and  never  more  returned  into  England.  From 
Louvain  he  removed  to  Paris,  thence  to  Minchen, 
(an  university  in  Bavaria,  where  William  the  duke 
exhibited  unto  him,)  thence  to  Rome,  where  he  was 
admitted  a  Jesuit.  Hence  Pope  Gregory  the  Thir- 
teenth sent  him  to  be  governor  of  the  .Jesuits'  Col- 
lege at  Posna  in  Poland,  newly  erected  by  Sigis- 
mund,  king  thereof.  Yea,  so  great  was  the  fame 
of  this  Faunt,  that,  if  his  own  letters  may  be 
believed,  three  princes  courted  him  at  once  to  come 
to  them.  He  altered  his  Christian  name  of  Arthur, 
because,  as  his  kinsman  tells  us  %  no  calendar  saint 
M^as  ever  of  that  name,  and  assumed  the  name  of 
Laurence,  dying  this  year  at  Vilna  in  Lituania, 
leaving  books  of  his  own  making  much  prized  by 
those  of  his  own  profession. 

49.  Now  began  the  heat  and  height  of  the  sad  '^'ue  contest 
contest  betwixt  Mr.  Richard  Hooker,  master,  and  Hooker  ami 
Mr.  Walter  Travers,  lecturer  of  the  Temple  K     We  '^"""^^"^- 


e  Burton's     Description    of  "  there  be  niany  material  mis- 
Leicestershire,  p.  10.  ''takes,   and   more    omissions. 

f  [This  should  rather  be  "  I  conceive  some  of"  his  mis- 
referred  to  the  year  15S5,  the  "  takes  did  proceed  from  a 
date  of  Hooker's  appointment  "  belief  in  Mr.  Thomas  Fuller, 
to  the  mastership  of  the  Tem-  "  who  had  too  hastily  published 
pie.  The  errors  which  Fuller  "  what  he  hath  since  most  in- 
committed  in  this  account  of  "  geniously  retracted." 
Hooker,  he  afterwards  re-  Since  the  publication  of  the 
trenched,  according  to  the  tes-  new  edition  of  Hooker's  Works 
timonvof  Isaac  Walton.  See  his  by  professor  Keble,  it  is  hardly 
notice  to  the  reader,  prefixed  necessary  to  state  that  a  full 
to  his  Life  of  Hooker.  Speak-  and  accurate  account  of  this 
ing  of  bishop  Gaudeu's  Life  controversy  will  be  found  in 
of  that  eminent  writer,  Walton  the  learned  editor's  Introduc- 
observes,  "  1  am  put  upon  a  tion.] 
"  necessity  to  say,  that  in  it 

FULLER,    VOL,  V,  N 


178 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


Hooker  his 
character. 


A.D.  1591.  ^vill  be  the  larger  in  the  relatino:  thereof,  because 

34  Eliz.  ^  -,       \        ' 

we  behold  their  actions  not  as  the  deeds  of  private 

persons,  l)ut  the  public  champions  of  their  party. 
Now  as  an  army  is  but  a  champion  diffused,  so  a 
champion  may  be  said  to  be  an  army  contracted. 
The  prelatical  party  wrought  to  the  height  in  and  for 
Hooker ;  nor  was  the  presbyterian  power  less  active 
in  assisting  Mr.  Travers  :  both  sides  being  glad  they 
had  gotten  two  such  eminent  leaders,  with  whom 
they  might  engage  with  such  credit  to  their  cause. 

50.  Hooker  was  born  in  Devonshire,  bred  in 
Oxford,  fellow  of  Corpus  Christi  College,  one  of  a 
solid  judgment  and  great  reading;  yea,  such  the 
depth  of  his  learning,  that  his  pen  was  a  better 
bucket  than  his  tongue  to  draw  it  out ;  a  great 
defender,  both  by  preaching  and  writing,  of  the 
discipline  of  the  church  of  England,  yet  never  got 
nor  cared  to  get  any  eminent  dignity  therein — con- 
science, not  covetousness,  engaging  him  in  the  con- 
troversy. Spotless  was  his  conversation ;  and  though 
some  dirt  was  cast,  none  could  stick  on  his  reputa- 
tion. Mr.  Travers  M^as  brought  up  in  Trinity  Col- 
lege in  Cambridge ;  and  because  much  of  church 
matter  depends  upon  him,  I  give  the  reader  the 
larger  account  of  his  carriage. 

51.  Travers,  meeting  with  some  discontents  in 
the  college  after  the   death   of  Dr.  Beaumont,   (in 

yond  seas,  whoso  time  he  was  elected  fellow,)  took  occasion  to 
travel  beyond  seas,  and,  coming  to  Geneva,  con- 
tracted familiarity  with  Mr.  Beza  and  other  foreign 
divines,  with  whom  he,  by  letters,  continued  corre- 
spondency till  the  day  of  his  death  ^.    Then  returned 


Travers 
takes  his 
orders  be 


P    [Archbishop  Whitgift,  in     ing  of  Travers,   says,   "I  did 
a  letter  to  lord  Burghley,  speak-     "elect  him  fellow  of  Trinity 


CE?JT.  Xvf.  of  Britain.  179 

he,  and  commenced   bachelor  of  divinity  in   Cam-^-^-,'?9« 

bridge  ;  and  after  that  went  beyond  sea  again,  and 

at  Antwerp  was  ordained  minister  by  the  presby- 
tery there,  whose  testimonial  I  have  here  faithfully 
transcribed  out  of  the  original : 


"  Quum  multis  de  causis  sit  et  aequum  et  con- 
"  sultum  unumqnemque  eorum  qui  ad  verbi  Dei 
"  ministerium  asciscuntur,  vocationis  suae  testimo- 
*'  nium  habere ;  asserimus,  coacta  Antuerpiae  ad  8 
"  Maij,  1578,  duodecim  ministrorum  verbi  cum  toti- 
"  dem  fere  senioribus  synodo,  praestantissimum  pie- 
"  tate  et  eruditione  virum  ac  fratrem  reverendum 
"  Doctorem  Gualterum  Traverseum^  omnium  qui 
*'  aderant  suffrages  ardentissimisque  votis,  consueto 
"  ritu  fuisse  in  sancto  verbi  Dei  ministerio  institu- 
"  tum,  precibusque  ac  manuum  impositione  confir- 
"  matum.  Postero  autem  die  post  sabbatum  ab  illo 
"  in  frequenti  Anglorum  coetu  concionem,  rogante 
"  eo  qui  a  synodo  delegatus  erat  ministro,  propen- 
"  sissimisque  totius  ecclesise  animis  acceptum  fuisse. 
"  Quod    quidem    Domini    ac   fratris   nostri   colendi 


*'  College,being  before  rejected  "  ment  in  whom  I  found  less 

"  by  Dr.  Beaumont  for  his  in-  "  submission  and  humility  than 

"  tolerable  stomach  ;  whereof  I  "in  him."     Walton's  Life  of 

*'  had  also  afterwards  such  ex-  Hooker,  in  Keble's  edition,  p. 

"  perience,  that  I  was  forced  30.     Travers's  name  is  conti- 

"  by    due    punishment    so    to  nually    found     coupled     with 

"  weary  him,  till  he  was  fain  those  of  the  most  violent  pres- 

"  to   travel,  and  depart    from  byterians,  in  their  letters  pub- 

"  the  college  to  Geneva,  other-  lished   by   bishop   Bancroft  in 

"  wise    he    should    have   been  his  Dangerous  Positions.     See 

"  expelled  from  want  of  con-  pp.  162,   157,    where    Hacket 

"  formity  towards   the    orders  desires   to   have   a    conference 

"  of   the    house,    and    for    his  with  him,  as  late  as  this  year 

"  pertinacy.  Neither  was  there  1591,  pp.  150,  1  19,  42,  80. J 
"  ever  any  under  our  govern- 

N  2 


180  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1591."  apud  Anglos  miiiisterium,  lit  benignitate  sua  Deus 
— — ^—  *'  omnipotens  donorum  suorum  incremento    et  am- 
"  plissimo    fuiictionis    ejus    fructu    oruare   dignetur, 
"  enixe  precanuir  per  Jesum  Christum.     Amen. 
"  Dat.  Antwerpiir,  14  Maij,  1578. 

*'  Det  Logelerius  Vilerius,  verbi  Dei  minister,  et 
"  Johannes  Hochelcus,  verbi  Dei  minister. 

"  Johannes  Taffinus, 

"  Verbi  Dei  Minister." 

Thus  put  in  orders  by  the  presbytery  of  a  foreign 
nation,   he   continued    there    some    years,  preached 
(with  Mr.  Cartwright)  unto  the  English  factory  of 
merchants  at  Antwerp ;  until  at  last  he  came  over 
into  England,  and  for  seven  years  together  became 
lecturer    in    the  Temple,   refusing   all    presentative 
preferment  to  decline  subscription,  and  lived  domes- 
tic chaplain  in  the  house  of  the  lord  treasurer  Cecil, 
being  tutor  for  a  time  to  Robert  his  son,  afterwards 
earl   of  Salisbury ;    and   although*  there  was  much 
heaving  and  shoving  at  him,  as  one  disaffected  to 
the  discipline,  yet  God's  goodness,  his  friends'  great- 
ness, and  his  own  honesty,  kept  him  (but  with  much 
difficulty)  in  his  ministerial  employment. 
He,  with         52.   Yea,  now  so  great  grew  the  credit  and  repu- 
wright,  in-  tation  of  Mr.  Travers,  that,  by  the   advice   of  Mr. 
ditlnity  ^  Andrew   IVIelvin,  he  and   JNlr.  Cartwright  were  so- 
fn^^rAn    l^mnly   sent   for,   to   be    divinity   professors   in   the 
drew's.       university  of   St.  Andrew's,   as    by  this    autograph 
(which  I  have  in  my  hands,  and  here  think  fit  to 
exemplify)  may  plainly  appear  : 

"  Magno   quidem,  fratres   charissimi,  gaudio   nos 
"  afficit  constantia  vestra,  et  invicta  ilia  animi  for- 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  181 

*'  titudo,  qua  contra  Satanae   imperium  et  reluctan- a.d.  1591. 

"  tern    Cliristi    iinperio    iiiuncii  tastiim  arinavit  vos 

"  Domini  Spiritus,  in  asserenda  apiid  i)opulares  ves- 
"  tros  ecclesise  sua^  disciplina.  Sed  permolestum 
"  tamen  nobis  semper  fuit,  pertinaci  inimicorum  odio 
*'  et  violentia  factum  esse,  ut  cum  latere  et  solum 
"  subinde  vertere  cogimini,  minus  aliquanto  fructus 
"  ex  laboribus  vestris  ad  pios  omnes  perveniat,  quam 
"  si  docendo  publice  et  concionando  destinatam 
"  ecclesiai  Dei  operam  navare  licuisset.  Hoc  quia 
"  in  patria  vobis  negatum  videbamus,  non  aliud 
"  nobis  magis  in  votis  erat,  quam  ut  exulanti  in 
"  vobis  Cliristo  hospitium  aliquod  in  ultima  Scotia 
"  pra^beretur.  Quod  ut  fieri  non  incommode  possit, 
"  speramus  longo  nos  conatu  perfecisse. 

"  Vetus  est  et  non  ignobilis  apud  nos  academia 
"  Andreana ;  in  qua  cum  alise  artes,  tum  philosophia 
"  imprimis  ita  hucusque  culta  fuit,  ut  quod  ab  ex- 
*'  teris  nationibus  peteretur,  parum  nobis,  aut  nihil 
*'  in  eo  genere  deesset.  Verum  divina  ilia  sapientia, 
"  quam  vel  solam,  vel  prsecipuam  colere  Christianos 
*'  decet,  neglecta  diu  in  scholis  jacuit ;  quod  a  prima 
"  statim  religionis  instauratione,  summus  omnium 
"  ardor  exstaret  in  erudienda  plebe ;  in  aliis  ad 
"  sacrum  verbi  ministerium  instituendis  paucissimi 
"  laborarent ;  non  leve  ut  periculum  subesset,  ne 
"  (quod  propitius  nobis  Deus  avertat)  concionatorum 
"  aliquando  inoi)ia  periret,  quod  tanta  cum  spe  in 
"  hominum  animos  conjectum  est  verae  pietatis 
"  semen. 

"  Animadvertit  hoc  tandem  ecclesiasticus  senatus, 
"  et  cum  rege  regnique  proceribus  diligenter  egit, 
"  ne  banc  officii  sui  et  solicitudinis  partem  deside- 
*'  rari  amplius  paterentur.     Placuit  et  summo  om^ 

N  3 


182  The  Church  History  book  [x. 

•^•^•Jr^i-"  nium  applausu  in  proximis  ordinum  comitiis  decre- 

"  turn  est,  ut  quod  amplitudine  ceteris  et  opulentia 

"  collegium  prgestat  theologia?  perpetuo  studiis  con- 
"  secretur :  utque  ad  verbi  Dei  ministerium  nemo 
"  admittatur,  nisi  linguarum,  utriusque  testamenti 
"  et  locorum  commiinium  cumculo  prius  confecto : 
*'  confici  autem  quadriennii  spacio  a  quinque  pro- 
"  fessoribus  posse.  Ex  hoc  numero  adhuc  desunt 
"  Thomas  Carticrightus  et  Gualterus  Traversus :  reli- 
"  quos  nobis  domi  ecclesia  nostra  suppeditabit. 
"  Messem  hie  videtis  singulari  vestra  eruditione  et 
*'  pietate  non  indignam.  Ad  quam  pi  us  vos  princeps 
"  et  proceres  nostri ;  ad  quam  boni  vos  omnes  et 
**  fratres  vestri ;  ad  quam  Christi  vos  ecclesia  et 
"  Christus  ipsa  operarios  invitat.  Reliquum  est,  ut 
"  humanissime  vocantes  sequi  velitis ;  et  ad  docendi 
"  hanc  provinciam,  vobis  honorificam,  ecclesiae  Dei 
"  salutarem  maturetis ;  magnas  a  principe,  majores 
"  a  Christi  ecclesia,  maximas  et  immortales  a  maximo 
"  et  immortali  Deo  gratias  inituri.  Quod  ut  sine 
"  mora  facere  dignemini,  per  eum  ipsum  vos  etiam 
"  atque  etiam  obtestamur,  cui  acceptum  ferri  debet, 
"  quod  ecclesice  filii  sui  prodesse  tantopere  possitis. 
"  Valete.     Edinburgh 

"  Ja.  Glasgney,  Academics  Cancelarius.  Alaynus 
"  Rector.     Thomas  Smetonius,  Decanus. 

"  Andreas  Melvinus, 

"  Collegii  Praefectus. 
"  Mr.  David  Wems, 

"  Minister  Glascoviensis." 

This  proffer  both  jointly  refused,  with  return  of 
their  most  affectionate  thanks ;  and  such  who  know 
least  are  most  bold  in  their  conjectures  to  adventure 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  183 

at  the  reasons  of  their  refusal:  as,  that  they  would  a.d.  i^qi. 

not   leave  the  sun  on  their  backs,  and   remove  so ^ 

far  north,  or  they  were  discouraged  with  the  slen- 
derness  of  the  salary  assigned  unto  tliem.  In  plain 
truth  they  were  loth  to  leave,  and  their  friends  loth 
to  be  left  by  them,  conceiving  their  pains  might 
as  well  be  bestowed  in  their  native  country;  and 
Travers  quietly  continued  lecturer  at  the  Temple, 
till  Mr.  Hooker  became  the  master  thereof. 

53.  JNIr.  Hooker  his  voice  was  low,  stature  little.  The  cha. 
gesture  none  at  all,  standing  stone-still  in  the  pulpit,  Hooker 
as  if  the  posture  of  his  body  were  the  emblem  of^^'"?"?^ 

i  •'  preaching. 

his  mind,  unmovable  in  his  opinions.  Where  his 
eye  was  left  fixed  at  the  beginning,  it  was  found 
fixed  at  the  end  of  his  sermon.  In  a  word,  the 
doctrine  he  delivered  had  nothing  but  itself  to  gar- 
nish it.  His  style  was  long  and  pithy,  driving  on 
a  whole  flock  of  several  clauses  before  he  came  to 
the  close  of  a  sentence;  so  that  when  the  copious- 
ness of  his  style  met  not  with  proportionable  capa- 
city in  his  auditors,  it  was  unjustly  censured  for 
perplexed,  tedious,  and  obscure.  His  sermons  fol- 
lowed the  inclination  of  his  studies,  and  were  for 
the  most  part  on  controversies  and  deep  points  of 
school  divinity  ^. 

54.  ]Mr.  Travers  his  utterance  was  graceful,  ges-  The  de- 

scription of 

^  ["  In  Hooker's  Answer  to  "  in  the  end ;  likewise  naming 

"  his  Supplication,  it  appears  "  bishops   in  his  prayer ;   also 

"  there  was  a  conference   be-  "  kneeling    when    he    prayed, 

•'  tween  them  (sc.  Travers  and  "  and    kneeling  when    he    re- 

"■  Hooker)    at    Hooker's    lirst  "  ceived   the   communion,  and 

"  coming  to  the  Temple,  where-  "suchlike."       Strype's     Ann. 

"  in  '1  ravers  took  the  freedom  HI.  243.     It  seems  from  this 

'*  to  tell  him  some  of  his  faults:  that  Hooker  used  the  form  of 

"  as  iiis  praying  in  the  entrance  bidding-prayer.] 
"  of  his  sermon  only,  and  not 

N  4 


Travers. 


184  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

AD.  i.soi.tiire  plausible,  matter  profitable,  method  plain,  and 

— Ills  style  carried  in  it  indolem  pietatis,  a  genius  of 

grace  flowing  from  his  sanctified  heart.  Some  say 
that  the  congregation  in  the  Temple  ebbed  in  the 
forenoon  and  flowed  in  the  afternoon,  and  that  the 
auditory  of  INIr.  Travers  was  far  the  more  numerous  ', 
the  first  occasion  of  emulation  betwixt  them ;  but 
such  as  knew  Mr.  Hooker,  knew  him  to  be  too  wise 
to  take  exception  at  such  trifles,  the  rather  because 
the  most  judicious  is  always  the  least  part  in  all 
auditories. 
They  clash      55.    Here    might    one,    on    Sundays,   have   seen 

aliout  mat-       i  ,  .,  i  ,  , 

tersofdoc-  aliiiost  as  many  writers  as  hearers:  not  only  young 
•""^'  students,  but  even  the  gravest  benchers,  (such  as 
sir  Edward  Cook  and  sir  James  Altham  then  were,) 
were  not  more  exact  in  taking  instructions  from 
tlieir  clients,  than  in  writing  notes  from  the  mouths 
of  their  ministers.  The  worst  was,  these  two  preach- 
ers, though  joined  in  affinity,  (their  nearest  kindred 
being  married  together,)  acted  with  different  prin- 
ciples, and  clashed  one  against  another ;  so  that 
what  Mr.  Hooker  delivered  in  the  forenoon,  Mr. 
Travers  confuted  in  the  afternoon.  At  the  building: 
of  Solomon's  temple,  (1  Kings  vi.  7,)  neither  hammer^ 
nor  axe^  nor  tool  of  iron  was  heard  therein ;  whereas, 
alas  !  in  this  Temple  not  only  much  knocking  was 
heard,  but  (which  was  the  worst)  the  nails  and  pins 
which  one  master-builder  drave  in  were  driven  out 


i   [This   is    not    surprising ;  this   time    the    Temple   heard 

for  Alvey,  Hooker's  predeces-  little  else  than  the  doctrines  of 

sor   in  the  mastership  of   the  Geneva.     "  It   was    a    custom 

Temple,  entertained  the  same  "  also,  in  Mr.  Alvey's  time,  to 

principles  as  Travers.  Walton's  "receive  the  communion  sit- 

jlooker,  pp.  27,51,  n.;  so  until  "  ting."     Strype,  ib.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  185 

by  the  other.     To  pass  by  lesser  differences  betwixt  a.  d.  1591. 
them  about  predestination,  Jl !!l_ 


Hooker  maintained  Travers  defended 

The  church  of  Rome,  though  The  church  of  Rome  is  no 
not  a  pure  and  perfect,  yet  true  church  at  all;  so  that 
is  a  true  church  ;  so  that  such  as  live  and  die  there- 
such  who  live  and  die  in,  holding  justification  in 
therein  J,  upon  their  re-  part  by  works,  cannot  be 
pentance  of  all  their  sins  said  by  the  scriptures  to 
of  ignorance,  may  be  be  saved, 
saved  ^. 

Thus  much  disturbance  was  caused,  to  the  dis- 
quieting of  people's  consciences,  the  disgrace  of  the 
ordinance,  the  advantage  of  the  common  enemy,  and 
the  dishonour  of  God  himself. 

5Q.    Here    archbishop   Whitgift    interposed    his  Travers  is 
poM^er,  and  silenced  Travers  from  preaching  either  the  arch- ^ 
in  the  Temple  or  any  where  else.     It  was  laid  to'"^^"^' 
his    charge,    1,    That   he   was    no    lawful    ordained 
minister,    according    to    the    church    of   England ; 
2ndly,    That   he    preached    here    without    license ; 
3rdly,  That  he  had  broken  the  order  made  in  the 
seventh  year  of  her  majesty's  reign,  wherein  it  was 
provided,  "  That  erroneous  doctrine,  if  it  came  to  be 
"  publicly  taught,   should   not  be  publicly  refuted, 
"  btit  that   notice   thereof  should  be  given   to  the 
"  ordinary,  to  hear  and   determine   such  causes,  to 
"  prevent  public  disturbance." 

57-  As    for   Travers    his    silencing,   many   which  Many 
were  well  pleased  with  the  deed  done  were  offended  l|,H^*the 
at  the  manner  of  doing  it ;  for  all  the  congregation  f,^,t''with* 

the  manner 
J  Being  weak,  ignorant,  dinl  ^    [See    Walton's     Life     of*'     omg  1  . 

seduced.  Hooker,  p.  55. J 


186  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.I).  1591.011   a   sabbath,  in   the    afternoon,   were   assembled 
•^"^  together,   their  attention   prepared,  the  cloth  (as  I 

may  say)  and  napkins  were  laid,  yea,  the  guests  sat, 
and  their  knives  drawn  for  their  spiritual  repast, 
when  suddenly,  as  JNIr.  Travers  was  going  up  into 
the  pulpit,  a  sorry  fellow  served  him  with  a  letter, 
prohibiting  him  to  preach  any  more.  In  obedience 
to  authority,  (the  mild  and  constant  submission 
whereunto  won  him  respect  with  his  adversaries,) 
Mr.  Travers  calmly  signified  the  same  to  the  con- 
gregation, and  requested  them  quietly  to  depart  to 
their  chambers.  Thus  was  our  good  Zaccarias  struck 
dumb  iti  the  temple,  but  not  for  infidelity,  unpartial 
people  accounting  his  fault  at  most  but  indiscretion. 
Meantime  his  auditory  (pained  that  their  pregnant 
expectation  to  hear  him  preach  should  so  publicly 
prove  abortive,  and  sent  sermonless  home)  manifested 
in  their  variety  of  passion,  some  grieving,  some 
frowning,  some  murmuring ;  and  the  wisest  sort, 
who  held  their  tongues,  shaked  their  heads,  as  dis- 
liking the  managing  of  the  matter. 
Travers  his  58.  Travcrs  addrcssod  himself  by  petition  to  the 
petition,  lords  of  the  privy  council,  (where  his  strength  lay, 
as  Hooker  s,  in  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and 
high  commission,)  grievously  complained  that  he 
was  punished  before  he  was  heard,  silenced  (by  him 
apprehended  the  heaviest  penalty)  before  sent  for, 
contrary  to  equity  and  reason,  the  law  condemnmg 
none  before  it  hear  him,  and  know  what  he  hath 
done  ™. 

i.  To  the  exception  against  the  lawfulness  of  his 
ministry,  he  pleaded  that  the  communion  of  saints 

ra  John  vii.  51. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  187 

allows   ordination    legal   in   any  Christian   church,  a. D.1591. 
Orders  herein  are  like  degrees,  and  a  doctor  gra,-— — — 
•duated   in  any  university  hath  his  title  and  place 
granted  him  in  all  Christendom. 

ii.  For  want  of  license  to  preach,  he  pleaded  that 
he  was  recommended  to  this  place  of  the  Temple  by 
two  letters  of  the  bishop  of  London,  the  diocesan 
thereof. 

iii.  His  anti-preaching  in  the  afternoon  against 
what  was  delivered  before,  he  endeavoured  to  excuse 
by  the  example  of  St.  Paul,  who  gave  not  'place  to 
Peter,  no,  not  an  hour,  that  the  ti'uth  of  the  gospel 
might  continue  amongst  them  °. 

But  we  are  too  tedious  herein,  especially  seeing 
his  petition  is  publicly  extant  in  print,  with  Mr. 
Hooker  his  answer  thereunto,  whither  we  refer  the 
reader  for  his  more  ample  satisfaction  ». 

59.  By  the  way  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  in  ^  chanta- 

.  ble  adver- 

the  very  midst  of  the  paroxysm  betwixt  Hooker  and  sary. 
Travers,  the  latter  still  bare  (and  none  can  challenge 
the  other  to  the  contrary)  a  reverend  esteem  of  his 
adversary;  and  when  an  unworthy  aspersion,  some 
years  after,  was  cast  on  Hooker,  (if  Christ  was 
dashed,  shall  Christians  escape  clean  in  their  journey 
to  heaven  ?)  Mr.  Travers,  being  asked  of  a  private 
friend  what  he  thought  of  the  truth  of  that  accu- 
sation, "  In  truth,"  said  he,  "  I  take  Mr.  Hooker  to 
"  be  a  holy  man ;" — a  speech  which,  coming  from 
an  adversary,  sounds  no  less  to  the  commendation 
of  his  charity  who  spake  it,  than  to  the  praise  of  his 
piety  of  whom  it  was  spoken. 

"  Gal.  ii.  5.  [See  his  letter  o  [At  the  conclusion  of  the 
in  the  Appendix.]  Ecclesiastical  Polity.] 


188  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1591.      60.  The   coimcil-table   was    much   divided  about 
•^■^     '^"   Travel's  his  petition.     All  Whitgift's  foes  were  ipso 


must  have  facto  made  Travers  his  favourers ;  besides,  he  had  a 
no  favour,  jr^j-gg  gtock  of  frieuds  Oil  his  own  account.  But 
Whitgift's  finger  moved  more  in  church  matters 
than  all  the  hands  of  all  the  privy  counsellors 
besides ;  and  he  was  content  to  suffer  others  to  be 
believed  (and  perchance  to  believe  themselves)  great 
actors  in  church  government,  whilst  he  knew  he 
could  and  did  do  all  things  himself  therein.  No 
favour  must  be  afforded  Travers  on  any  terms  : 
1.  Dangerous  was  his  person,  a  Cartwright  junior, 
none  in  England  either  more  loving  Geneva  or 
more  beloved  by  it.  2ndly.  Dangerous  the  place, 
the  Temple  being  one  of  the  inns  (therefore  a  public) 
of  court,  therefore  a  principal  place ;  and  to  suffer 
one  opposite  to  the  English  discipline  to  continue 
lecturer  there,  what  was  it  but  in  effect  to  retain 
half  the  lawyers  of  England  to  be  of  counsel  against 
the  ecclesiastical  government  thereof.  Srdly.  Dan- 
gerous the  precedent :  this  leading  case  would  be 
presumed  on  for  others  to  follow,  and  a  rank's 
breaking  may  be  an  army's  ruining. 
Whitgift         Q\    This  w^as  the  constant  custom  of  Whitgift :  if 

his  politic  ^ 

carriage,  auy  lord  or  lady  sued  to  him  to  shew  favour  for 
their  sakes  to  nonconformists,  his  answer  to  them 
■was  rather  respectful  to  the  requester  than  satisfac- 
tory to  the  request.  He  would  profess  how  glad  he 
was  to  serve  them,  and  gratify  them  in  compliance 
with  their  desire,  assuring  them  for  his  part  all 
possible  kindness  should  be  indulged  unto  them ; 
but,  in  fine,  he  would  remit  nothing  of  his  rigour 
against  them.  Thus  he  never  denied  any  great 
man's  desire,   and   yet    never  granted   it;   pleasing 


cp:nt.  XVI.  of' Britain.  189 

them  for  the  present  witli  general  promises,  (and  in  A•^>•,'59'• 
.         34  i'^''"'^- 
them  not  dissemblinf]^,  but  using  discreet  and  right • 


expressions,)  still  kept  constant  to  his  own  resohition. 
Hereupon  afterwards  the  nobihty  surceased  making 
more  suits  unto  him,  as  ineffectual,  and  even  left  all 
things  to  his  own  disposal. 

62.  Thus  ]Mr.  Travers,  notwithstanding  the  plenty  Travers 

/.!•  i'  •         1  1  11  1      g<wth  into 

of  his  potent  friends,  was  overborne  by  the  arch- Ireland, 
bishop,  and,  as  he  often  complained,  could  never  glh""""' 
obtain  to  be  brought  to  a  fair  hearing.  But  his 
grief  hereat  was  something  abated,  when  Adam 
Loftus,  archbishop  of  Dublin  and  chancellor  of 
Ireland,  (his  ancient  colleague  in  Cambridge,)  invited 
him  over  to  be  provost  of  Trinity  College  in  Dublin. 
Embracing  the  motion,  over  he  went,  accepting  the 
place,  and  continued  some  years  therein  ;  till,  dis- 
composed "with  the  fear  of  their  civil  wars,  he 
returned  into  England,  and  lived  here  many  years 
very  obscurely,  (though  in  himself  a  shining  light,) 
as  to  the  matter  of  outward  maintenance. 

63.  Yet  had  he  Agur's  wish,  neither  'poverty  worHiscon- 
riches,  though  his  enough  seemed  to  be  of  shortest  and  Viet^' 
size.     It    matters    not    whether    men's    means    be^^^^^'^' 
mounted  or  their  minds  descend,  so  be  it  that  both 
meet,  as  here  in  him,  in  a  comfortable  contentment. 

Yea,  when  the  right  reverend  and  religious  James 
Usher  (then  bishop  of  Meath,  since  archbishop  of 
Armagh,  brought  up  under  him,  and  with  him  agree- 
ing in  doctrine,  though  dissenting  in  discipline)  prof- 
fered money  unto  him  for  his  relief,  iSIr.  Travers 
returned  a  thankful  refusal  thereof?.     Sometimes 

P  [Usher  was  no  other\\'ise,  was  provost  of  Trinity  College, 
I  imagine,  brought  up  under  Dublin,  during  some  period  of 
Travers,  than  as  far  as  the  latter     Usher  s  studies  there.    In  1 593 


190  The  Church  History  book  ix» 

A.D.  i59ihe  did  preach,   rather  when   he  durst  than  when 

J Lhe   would,  debarred  from  all  cure  of  souls  by  his 

nonconformity.  He  lived  and  died  unmamed ;  and 
though  leaving  many  nephews,  some  eminent  scho- 
lars, bequeathed  all  his  books  of  oriental  languages, 
(wherein  he  was  exquisite,)  and  plate  worth  fifty 
pounds,  to  Sion  College  in  London.  Oh  if  this 
good  man  had  had  an  hand  to  his  heart,  or  rather 
a  purse  to  his  hand,  what  charitable  works  would 
he  have  left  behind  him  !  But,  in  pursuance  of 
his  memory,  I  have  intrenched  too  much  on  the 
modern  times ;  only  this  I  will  add,  perchance  the 
reader  will  be  angry  with  me  for  saying  thus  much, 
and  I  am  almost  angry  with  myself  for  saying  no 
more  of  so  worthy  a  divine. 
The  death  64.  Return  we  to  the  year  1592,  which  we  find 
Mr.  Green-  iu  Loudou  filled  with  fuuerals,  so  that  within  twelve 
pf^e/  ^  months  moe  than  ten  thousand  were  swept  away 
therein  of  the  plague,  and  amongst  them  reverend 
Mr.  Richard  Greenham,  the  reason  why  we  find  not 
the  exact  date  of  his  death  ^.  In  contagious  times, 
the  corpses  of  those  Avho,  living,  were  best  beloved, 
are  rather  hurried  than  carried  to  the  grave ;  and  in 
such  confusions,  those  parishes  who  have  the  best 
memories  prove  forgetful,  their  registers  being  either 
carelessly  kept  or  totally  omitted.  Thus  our  Green- 
ham  was  mortally  visited  with  the  plague,  whereof 
we  find  Munster,  Franciscus  Junius,  Chimidontius, 
and  other  worthy  divines,  formerly  deceased  in 
Germany;  that  patent  of  preservation  against  the 


Usher  was  entered  there,  being  607.     A    Life    of    Greenham 

then  thirteen  years  of  age.]  will  also  be  found  in  Clarke's 

^1   [See  some  account  of  him  Martyrology.   Lives  of  Thirty- 

in  Strype'a  Annals,  II.  4,  IV.  two  English  Divines,  p.  12.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  191 

pestilence,  A   thousand  shall  fall  at  th\j  side,  andA,.'D.\j()\. 
ten  thotisand  at  thy  right  hand ;  but  it  shall  not  come— — ^—— 
nigh  thee^,  running  (as  all  other  temporal  promises) 
with  this  secret  clause  of  revocation,  if  God  in  his 
wisdom  were  not  pleased  otherwise  to  countermand 
it. 

Q5.  It  may  be  said  of  some  persons,  in  reference  Feiiow  of 
to  their  history,  that  they  were  born  men  ;  namely,  Haii  in 
such  of  whose  birth  and  youth  we  find  no  particular  ^^  "  ^^' 
account.     Greenham  is  one  of  these,  for,  for  want  of 
better  intelligence,  we  find  him   full-grown  at  the 
first,  when,  anno  Domini  ,  he  was  admitted  into 

Pembroke  Hall  in  Cambridge ;  in  which  house,  some 
years  after,  the  youth  of  Mr.  Lancelot  Andrews^ 
(afterwards  bishop  of  Winchester)  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  JNIr.  Greenham  ;  and  I  dare  boldly 
say,  if  Greenham  gained  any  learning  by  Andrews, 
Andrews  lost  no  religion  by  Greenham.  He  after- 
wards left  the  university,  and  became  minister  three 
miles  off,  at  Dry  Drayton. 

QQ.  Dry  Drayton,  indeed,  which,   though   often  He  is  hum- 
watered   with    Mr.  Greenham's  tears,  and    oftener  an  obstinate 
with  his  prayers  and  preaching,  moistened  the  richP^"®*^* 
with  his  counsel,  the  poor  with  his  charity,  neither 
produced  proportionable  fruitfulness.   The  generality 
of  his  parish  remained  ignorant  and  obstinate,  to 
their  pastor's   great   grief,  and   their  own   greater 
damage  and  disgrace.     Hence  the  verses, 

"  Greenham  had  pastures  green. 
But  sheep  full  lean." 

Thus  God  alone  is  the  good  shepherd,  who  doth 

r  Psalm  xci.  7.  in  making  some  of  Mr.  Green- 

s  Some  say  he  had  an  hand     ham's  works. 


192  The  Church  History  book  ix, 

A.  D.  1592.  feed  and  can  fat  his  sheep,  and  can  make  them  to 

35  Eliz.      .1     .  ,         1  •      1 

thrive  under  his  keeping. 

Hisdex-         67.  He  used  often,  at  the  entreaty  of  some  doc- 

teritv  in 

healing  tors,  to  preach  at  St.  Mary's  in  Cambridge,  where, 
consciences,  somctimes  SO  great  his  zeal  in  pressing  important 
points,  that  he  hath  lost  himself  in  the  driving  home 
of  some  application,  even  to  the  forgetting  of  his 
text,  (as  himself  would  confess,)  till  he  recovered 
the  same  on  some  short  recollection.  He  always 
bitterly  inveighed  against  non-residents,  professing 
that  he  wondered  how  such  men  could  take  any 
comfort  in  their  wealth ;  "  for  methinks,"  saith  he, 
"  they  should  see  written  on  every  thing  which  they 
"  have  pretium  sanguinis  — '  this  is  the  price  of 
"  blood.'  "  But  his  masterpiece  was  in  comforting 
wounded  consciences  ;  for,  although  heaven's  hand 
can  only  set  a  broken  heart,  yet  God  used  him 
herein  as  an  instrument  of  good  to  many,  who  came 
to  him  with  weeping  eyes,  and  went  fi-om  him  with 
cheerful  souls.  The  breath  of  his  gracious  counsel 
blew  up  much  smoking  flax  into  a  blazing  flame. 
He,  leaving      gg    Hercupon  the  importunity  of  his  friends  (if 

his  cure,  . 

cometh  to  herein  they  proved  so)  persuaded  him  to  leave  his 
parish  and  remove  to  London,  where  his  public 
parts  might  be  better  advantaged  for  the  general 
good.  They  pleaded  the  little  profit  of  his  long 
pains  to  so  poor  and  peevish  a  parish ;  pity  it  was 
so  good  a  fisherman  should  cast  his  nets  elsewhere 
than  in  that  ocean  of  people ;  what  was  Dry  Drayton 
but  a  bushel  to  hide,  London  an  high  candlestick  to 
hold  up  the  brightness  of  his  parts  ?  Over-entreated 
by  others,  even  almost  against  his  own  judgment,  he 
resigned  his  cure  to  a  worthy  successor,  and  repaired 
to  London ;  where,  after  some  years'  preaching  up 


CENT.  XVI.  (jf' Britain.  193 

and  clown  in  no  constant  placo,  he  was  resident  on  a.d.  i^.jz. 
no  cure,  but  the  curing  of  consciences.  I  am  ere-  '^^A'^ 
diblj  informed  *  lie  in  some  sort  repented  his  removal 
fi-om  his  parish,  and  disliked  his  own  erratical  and 
planetary  life,  which  made  him  fix  himself  preacher 
at  last  at  Christ  Church  in  London,  where  he  ended 
his  days. 

69-  He  lived  sermons,  and  was  most  precise  in  ^^  Ri-eat  in- 
his  conversation  ;  a  strict  observer  of  the  Lord's  day,  ti.e"".od  " 
and   a  great  advancer   thereof  through    the  whole  the  Lo?d"s 
realm  by  that  treatise  which  he  wrote  of  the  sabbath. ''''^'• 
No  book  in  that  age  made  greater  impression  on 
people's  practice,  as  one  "  (then  a  great  wit  in  the 
university,  now  a  grave  wisdom  in  our  church)  hath 
ingeniously  expressed : 

"  On  Mr.  GreenhuwbS  Book  of  the  Sahhath. 

"  While  Greenhani  writeth  on  the  sabbath's  rest, 
His  soul  enjoys  not  what  his  pen  expressed ; 
His  work  enjoys  not  what  itself  doth  say, 
For  it  shall  never  find  one  resting  day. 
A  thousand  hands  shall  toss  each  page  and  line, 
Which  shall  be  scanned  by  a  thousand  eine ; 
That  sabbath^'s  rest,  or  this  sabbath's  unrest, 
Hard  is  to  say  whether's  the  happiest." 

Thus  godly  Greenham  is  fallen  asleep.  We  softly 
draw  the  curtains  about  him,  and  so  proceed  to 
other  matter  ". 

t  By   my  own    father,    J\Ir.  which   were   somewhat   nume- 

Thoniiis  Fuller,  who  was  well  roiis,  is  given  l)y  hislicjp  Tanner 

acquainted  with  him.  in  his  Bihliotlu'ca  Ilistorica,  p. 

"  Mr,  Joseph  Hall.  341.] 

"    [A    list    of  his   writings, 


FUELER,  VOL,  V. 


SECT.  vm. 

-^f- 

TO  THE 

LADY     ANNE     ARCHER, 

OF  TAMWORTH,  IN  WARWICKSHIRE  a. 

Madam, 

You,  being  so  good  a  housewife,  knoio  far  better  than  I  hoio 
much  strength  and  handsomeness  good  hemming  addeth  to 
tJie  end  of  a  cloth.  I  therefore,  being  now  to  put  a  period 
to  this  long  and  important  century/,  (as  big  as  the  whole 
book  besides,  but  chiefs  containing  the  reign,  the  honour  of 
your  sex  and  our  nation,)  have  resolved,  to  prevent  the 
unravelling  thereof,  to  close  and  conclude  it  with  this 
dedication  to  your  ladyship  ;  on  which  account  alone  you 
are  placed  last  in  this  book,  though  otherwise  the  frst  and 
freest  in  encouraging  my  iceak  endeavours. 


a    [Daughter     of    sir    John  (History  of  Warwickshire,  p. 

Ferrers,  of  Tamworth,  knight.  781,  ed.  by  Thomas,)   as   also 

She    was    married    to     sir    S.  by  Fuller,  in  the  previous  part 

Archer,  whose  munificence   to  of  this  history.      The  arms  of 

literature  and  learned  men  is  the    F'errers  are  varry  or  and 

celebrated    both    by    Dugdale,  gules.] 


CENT.  XVI.  The  Church  History  of  Britain.  195 

F   Mr.  Udal's  death   come  we  now  to^^-^-'?^^ 
treat.     Tlirouo'li    some    defect    in   the 


Tho  uncer- 

records  ^  (transposed  or  lost,)  we  can- tain  date  of 
not  tell  the  certain  day  of  jNIr.  Udal's  death. 
condemnation  and  death  '^ ;  but  this 
appears  in  the  office,  that  two  years  since  (viz.  32nd 
of  Eliz,,  July  S3)  he  was  indicted  and  arraigned  at 
Croydon,  for  defaming  the  queen  her  government  in 
a  book  by  him  written,  and  entitled,  "  A  demon- 
"  stration  of  the  Discipline  which  Christ  hath  pre- 
"  scribed  in  his  Word  for  the  government  of  his 
"  Church,  in  all  times  and  places,  until  the  world's 
"  end."  But  the  mortal  icord.s  (as  I  may  term  them) 
are  found  in  the  preface  of  his  book,  written  "  to 
"  the  supposed  governors  of  the  church  of  England, 
"  archbishojis,  bishops,  &c.,"  and  are  inserted  in  the 
body  of  his  indictment  as  folloAveth  : 

"  Who  can  without  blushing  deny  you  to  be  the 
"  cause  of  all  ungodliness,  seeing  your  government 
"  is  that  which  giveth  leave  to  a  man  to  be  any 
"  thing  saving  a  sound  Christian  ?  For,  certainly,  it 
"  is  more  free  in  these  days  to  be  a  papist,  ana- 
"  baptist,  of  the  family  of  love,  yea,  any  most 
"  wicked  whatsoever,  than  that  which  we  should 
"  be;  and  I  could  live  these  twenty  years  any  such 
"  in  England,  (yea,  in  a  bishop's  house,  it  may  be,) 
"  and  never  be  much  molested  for  it :  so  true  is 
"  that  which  you  are  charged  ^ith  in  a  Dialogue 
*'  lately  come  forth  against  you,  and  since  burned 

^  Searched  by  me   and   my  demnation,  see  Strype's  Annals, 

friends  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  IV.  p.  2i,sq.     He  died  in  a 

of  assize  for  Surrey.  prison  called  the  White  Lion, 

c  [For  the  particulars  rela-  Southwark.] 
tive  to  Udal's   trial   and   con- 

o  2 


196  The  Church  Histot'y  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1592."  by  you,  that  you  care  for  nothing  but  the  main- 

'—  "  tenance  of  your  dignities,  be  it  to  the  damnation 

"  of  your  own  souls,  and  infinite  millions  moe." 

To  this  indictment  he  pleaded  not  guilty,  denying 
himself  to  be  the  author  of  the  book.  Next  day  he 
was  cast  by  the  jury,  and  submitted  himself  to  the 
mercy  of  the  court,  whereby  he  prevailed  that  judg- 
ment against  him  was  respited  till  the  next  assizes, 
and  he  remanded  to  the  Marshalsea. 
Mr.  Udai        2,  JNIarch  following,  (the  33rd  of  queen  Elizabeth,) 

his  siippli-  . 

cation  to  hc  M'as  brouglit  again  to  the  bar  before  the  judges, 
the  assizes,  to  wlioui  he  had  privately  presented  a  petition  with 
all  advantage,  but  it  found  no  entertainment ;  inso- 
much that  in  this  month  of  JNIarch  ^\  (the  day  not 
ajDpearing  in  the  records,)  he,  at  the  assizes  held  in 
Southwark,  w^as  there  condemned  to  be  executed 
for  a  felon. 
Various  3.  Various  were  men's  censures  on  these  proceed- 

censures  on .  .       ,     ,  .  ^-^  .        ,     . ,        . 

his  con-  ings  agamst  him.  bome  conceived  it  rigorous  in 
demnation.  ^j^^  greatest  (wliicli  at  the  best  is  cruel  in  the  least) 
degree,  considering  the  worth  of  his  person  and 
weakness  of  the  proof  against  him ;  for  he  was  a 
learned  man,  blameless  for  his  life,  powerful  in  his 
praying,  and  no  less  profitable  than  painful  in  his 
preaching :  for  as  IMusculus  in  Germany,  if  I  mis- 
take not,  first  brought  in  the  plain  but  effectual 
manner  of  preaching  by  use  and  doctrine,  so  Udal 
was  the  first  who  added  reasons  thereunto,  the 
strength  and  sinews  of  a  sermon.  His  English- 
Hebrew  Grammar  he  made  whilst  in  prison,  as 
appears  by  a  subscription  in  the  close  thereof.     The 


<1   [111  1591,  according  to  Strype,  ib.  p.  24.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Bntain.  19T 

proof  was  not  pregnant,  and  it  is  generally  believed  ^-  ^- '592 

that  he  made  only  the  preface  (out   of  which   his 

indictment  was  chiefly  framed)  and  not  the  body  of 
the  book  laid  to  his  charge  ;  besides,  it  was  harsh  to 
inflict  immediate  and  direct  death  for  a  consequen- 
tial and  deductory  felony,  it  being  penhoused  out 
beyond  the  foundation  and  intent  of  the  statute  to 
build  the  indictment  thereupon.  Others  thought 
that  some  exemplary  severity  was  necessary,  not 
only  to  pinion  the  wings  of  such  pamphlets  from 
flying  abroad,  but  even  thereby  to  crush  their  eggs 
in  the  nest.  Surely  the  multitude  of  visits  unto 
him,  during  his  durance,  no  whit  prolonged  his  life ; 
for  flocking  to  popular  prisoners  in  such  cases  is  as 
ominous  a  presage  of  their  death,  as  the  flying  and 
fluttering  of  ravens  near  and  about  the  house  and 
chamber  of  a  sick  body. 

4.  But  an  higher  Judge  had  formerly  passed  He  died 
another  sentence  on  Udal's  death,  that  his  soul  and  fn^h^^bed. 
body  should  not  by  shameful  violence  be  forced 
asunder,  but  that  they  should  take  a  fair  farewell 
each  of  other.  How  long  he  lived  after  his  con- 
demnation we  know  not,  there  being  a  tradition 
that  sir  Walter  Raleigh  procured  a  reprieve  in  a 
fair  way  to  his  pardon :  this  is  certain,  that  without 
any  other  sickness,  save  heart-broken  with  sorrow, 
he  ended  his  days.  Right  glad  were  his  friends  that 
his  death  prevented  his  death ;  and  the  wisest  of  his 
foes  were  well  contented  therewith,  esteeming  it 
better  that  his  candle  should  go  than  be  put  out, 
lest  the  snuff  should  be  unsavoury  to  the  survivors, 
and  his  death  be  charged  as  a  cruel  act  on  the 
account  of  the  procurers  thereof. 

5.  The  ministers  of  London  flocked  to  his  funeml.  His  solemn 

^  l)iirial. 

0  3 


198  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1593.  ami  he  was  decently  interred  in  the  churchyard  of 
^^  ^^"''    St.   George's    in    Southwark,    not  far   from  bishop 
Bonner's  gmve ;    so    near  may  their  bodies,  when 
dead,   in  positure  be  together,  whose  minds,  when 
living,   in   opinion   were   far  asunder.     Nor  have  1 
auffht  else  to  observe  of  him,  save   that  I  am  in- 
formed  that  he  was  father  of  Ephraim  Udal,  a  solid 
and  pious  divine,  dying  in  our  days,  but  in  point  of 
discipline  of  a  different  opinion  from  his  father  ^. 
fvr  and        ^-  ^^^   now,   the    sword   of  justice    being   once 
I.  p.  exe-    ,]i-awn,  it    was   not   put  up    again  into  the   sheath 
before   others   were   executed ;   for   Henry   Barrow, 
gentleman,  and  John  Greenwood,  clerk,  (who  some 
days  before  were  indicted  of  felony  at  the  sessions 
hall  without  Newgate,  before  the  lord   mayor  and 
the  two  chief  justices,  for  writing  certain  seditious 
pamphlets,)  were  hanged  at  Tyburn  *^;  and  not  long 
after  John  Penry,  a  Welshman,  was  apprehended  at 
Stevenhith,  by  the  vicar  thereof,  arraigned  and  con- 
demned of  felony  at  the  King's  Bench  at  Westmin- 
ster, for  being  a  principal  penner  and  ])ublisher  of  a 
libellous  book   called   *'  IMartin   Mar-Prelates,"  and 
executed  at  St.  Thomas  Waterings.    Daniel  Studle}^ 
girdler,  Saxio  Billot,  gentleman,  and  Robert  Bowley, 
fishmonger,  were    also    condemned    for   publishing 
scandalous  books  ;  but  not  finding  their  execution,  I 
believe  them  reprieved  and  pardoned  &. 


^  [Author    of   ti    celebrated  by   the    presbyterians,   and    at 

tract  against  sacrilege,  entitled  last,  in  his  old  age,  turned  out 

"  Noli  nie  tangere,  or  a  thing  of  his  living  by  the  parliament, 

"  to  be  thought  on,"  published  and  literally  left  with  an  aged 

in  1641.    He  suffered  more  for  wife  to  die  in  the  streets.    See 

truth  and  order  than   did  his  Wood's  Fast.  I.  25 1.] 
father   for   irregular  and  mis-  ^  Stow's  Chron.  p.  765. 

directed  zeal,  being  persecuted  "   [Of  Penry  and  his  indict- 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  199 

7.  About  this  time,  if  not  somewhat  sooner,  (forA.D.1593. 

.  .  ,     ,1  .        •■  ,  ^6  Eliz. 

my  inquiry  cannot  arrive  at  the  certani  date,)  queen— 

Elizabeth  took  her  last  farewell  of  Oxford,  where  a  queen's 
divinity  act  was  kept  before  her,  on  this  question,  Jo'cSd!^ 
"  Whether  it  be  lawful  to  dissemble  in  matters  of 
"  religion  ?"  One  of  the  opponents  endeavoured  to 
prove  the  affirmative  by  his  own  example, — "  Who 
"  then  did  what  was  lawful,  and  yet  he  dissembled 
"  in  disputing  against  the  truth  ?" — the  queen  being 
well  pleased  at  the  wittiness  of  the  argument  ^.  Dr. 
Westphaling,  (who  had  divers  years  been  bishop  of 
Hereford,)  coining  then  to  Oxford,  closed  all  with 
a  learned  determination,  w^herein  no  fault,  except 
somewhat  too  copious,  not  to  say  tedious ;  at  that 
time  her  highness  intending  that  night  to  make  a 
speech,  and  thereby  disappointed. 

8.  Next  day  her  highness  made  a  Latin  oration  Her  Latin 
to  the  heads  of  houses,  (on  the  same  token  she 
therein  gave  a  check  to  Dr.  Reynolds  for  his  non- 
conformity,) in  the  midst  whereof,  perceiving  the 
old  lord  Burleigh  stand  by,  w^ith  his  lame  legs,  she 
would  not  proceed  till  she  saw  him  provided  of  a 
stool ',  and  then  fell  to  her  speech  again,  as  sensible 
of  no  interruption ;  having  the  command  as  well  of 
her  Latin  tongue  as  of  her  loyal  subjects. 


oration. 


ment,  see  Strype's  Annals,  IV.  "  their   deaths."       Printed    in 

p.  176,  sq.     Life  of  Whitgift,  1586,    and    reprinted    in    the 

p.  409,  sq.      See   also   an  im-  Harleian  JMisceHany,  II.  p.  10. 

.portant    tract,    entitled    "  The  Some    of    Peary's    letters    to 

"  Examinations  of  Henry  Bar-  queen  Elizabeth  may  be  found 

"^  row,  John    Greenwood,  and  in   Pagitt's   Heresiography,   p. 

"  John  Penry,  before  the  High  271.] 

"  Commissioners  and  Lords  of  li  Sir  J.  Harrington's  State 

"  the  Council ;  penned  by  the  of  the  Church,  II.  180. 

"prisoners  themselves  before  '  Idem,  p.  182. 

o  4 


200  Tke  Church  Hhtory  book  ix. 

A.D.  150.^,.  9-  John  Piers,  arclibishop  of  York,  ended  his  life  *^, 
Jl ''"  dean  of  Christ  Church  in  Oxford,  bishop  of  Roches- 
ter, Salisbury,  and  arclibishop  of  York.  When  newly 
beneficed  a  young  man  in  Oxfordshire,  he  had 
drowned  his  good  parts  in  drunkenness,  conversing 
with  his  country  parishioners  ;  but  on  the  confession 
of  his  fault  to  a  grave  divine,  reformed  his  con- 
versation, so  applying  himself  to  his  studies  that  he 
deservedly  gained  great  preferment,  and  was  highly 
esteemed  by  queen  Elizabeth,  whose  almoner  he 
continued  for  many  years  ;  and  he  must  be  a  wise 
and  good  man  whom  that  thrifty  princess  would 
entrust  with  distributing  her  money.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  grave  and  reverend  prelates  of  his  age, 
and  after  his  reduced  life  so  abstemious,  that  his 
physician  in  his  old  age  could  not  persuade  him  to 
drink  wine ;  so  habited  he  was  in  sobriety,  in  detes- 
tation of  his  former  excess  ^ 
The  death  10.  The  sauie  year  died  John  Aylmer,  bishop  of 
Eimar.  Loudou  '",  bred  in  Cambridge,  well  learned,  as  aj)- 
peareth  by  his  book  titled  "  The  Ilarborough  of 
"  Princes;"  one  of  a  low  stature,  but  stout  spirit, 
very  valiant  in  his  youth,  and  witty  all  his  life ". 
Once  when  his  auditory  began  at  sermon  to  grow 
dull  in  their  attentions,  he  presently  read  unto  them 
many  verses  out  of  the  Hebrew  text ;  whereat  they 

^   [Sept.  28,  1594.]  dictory  to   what    is    stated  by 

'   [See  some  account  of  him  Dr.  King.  Indeed  most  of  these 

in  Wood's  Athen.  1.  713;  and  anecdotes  respectingthebishops 

in    Strype's   Annals,   IV.  202,  of  tliis  reign  were  derived  from 

taken  from  the  sermon  preached  sir  John    Harrington,  a  cour- 

at  the  bishoj)'s  funeral  by  Dr.  tier  and  a  wit, — a  writer  whose 

King.      Fuller's  remarks  u])on  credit  is  very  doubtful.] 
his    dissolute    conduct    during  ^   [June  3,  1594.] 

his  youth  seem  rather  contra-         "^   [Strype's  Aylmer,  p.  20.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Briluin.  201 

all  started,  admiring  what  use  he  meant  to  make  a.  d.  1593. 

of)  }*jlix, 

thereof.     Then    shewed    he    them   their   folly,   that  — '— 


whereas  they  neglected  English,  whereby  they  might 
be  edified,  they  listened  to  Hebrew,  whereof  they 
understood  not  a  word.  He  was  a  stiff  and  stern 
champion  of  church  discipline,  on  which  account 
none  more  mocked  by  JMartin  Mar- Prelate,  or  hated 
by  nonconformists.  To  his  eldest  son  he  left  a 
plentiful  estate ;  and  his  second,  a  doctor  of  divinity, 
was  a  worthy  man  of  his  profession  °. 

11.   But,  of  the  Romanists,  two  principal  pillars '^''^' '',';=i^^' 

'■  ^  ^      _  of  M  illiaiii 

ended  their  lives  beyond  the  seas:  first,  William  Reginald 
Reginald,  alias  Rose,  born  at  Pinho  in  Devonshire  p, 
bred  in  Winchester  School,  then  in  New  College  in 
Oxford.  Forsaking  his  country,  he  went  to  Rome, 
and  there  solemnly  abjured  the  protestant  religion  ; 
and  thereupon  was  permitted  to  read  (a  favour  sel- 
dom or  never  bestowed  on  such  novices)  any  pro- 
testant books,  without  the  least  restriction,  presum- 
ing on  his  zeal  in  their  cause.  From  Rome  he 
removed  to  Rheims  in  France,  where  he  became 
professor  of  divinity  and  Hebrew,  in  the  English 
college ;  where,  saith  my  author  %  with  studying, 
writing,  and  preaching  against  the  protestants,  per- 
chance he  exhausted  himself  with  too  much  labour, 
and,  breaking  a  vein,  almost  lost  his  life  with  vomit- 

"   [Strype,  ib.  p.  134.]  ing  to  convince  the  other,  they 

P    Pitz.    [in    Vita,    p.    790.  succeeded    so   effectually,  that 

Wood's  Ath.  I.  267.      He  was  each    changed    sides  ;    William 

brother  of  the  celebrated  John  became  one  of  the  most  eminent 

Rainolds,    of    Corpus    Christi  and  laborious  of  the  nltra-Ro- 

('ollege,  who  in  the  earlier  part  manists,  and  his  l)rother  John  dis- 

of   his    life    was   as    zealous  a  tinguished  himself  as  the  leader 

Romanist  as  his  br()ther  was  a  of  the  ultra-j)rotestant  party.] 
protestant;  but  the  one  labour-  ^   Ibidem. 


202  The  Cfmrch  Hhtortj  hook  ix. 

A.D.  1594.  ijig  of  blood.  Recovering  his  strength,  he  vowed  to 
sj)end  the  rest  of  his  life  in  writing  against  protest- 
ants  ;  and  death  at  Antwerp  seized  on  him,  the 
twenty-fourth  of  August,  (the  fiftieth  year  of  his 
age,)  as  he  was  a  making  of  a  book  called  "  Calvino- 
"  Turcismus ;"  which  after,  by  his  dear  friend  Wil- 
liam GiiFord  •",  was  finished,  set  forth,  and  dedicated 
to  Albert  duke  of  Austria. 
The  death  12.  William  Allen,  commonly  called  the  cardinal 
\\\tn.  ""*  of  England  %  followed  him  into  another  world,  born 
of  honest  parents,  and  allied  to  noble  kindred  in 
Lancashire ;  brought  up  at  Oxford  in  Oriel  College, 
where  he  was  proctor  of  the  university  in  the  days 
of  queen  Mary,  and  afterwards  head  of  St.  Mary 
Hall,  and  canon  of  York ;  but  on  the  change  of 
religion  he  departed  the  land,  and  became  professor 
of  divinity  at  Douay  in  Flanders,  then  canon  of 
Cambray,  master  of  the  English  college  at  Rheims, 
made  cardinal  1587,  August  the  seventh,  by  poi)e 
Sixtus  Quintus ;  the  king  of  Spain  bestowing  on 
him  an  abbey  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples  *,  and 
nominating  him  to  be  archbishop  of  Mechlin  ;  but 
death  arrested  him  to  pay  the  debt  to  nature, 
October  sixteenth ",  and  he  was  buried  in  the 
church  of  the  English  college  at  Rome.  This  is 
that  Allen  whom  we  have  so  often  mentioned,  con- 
ceived so  great  a  champion  for  their  cause,  that 
pope  Gregory  the  Thirteenth  said  to  his  cardinals, 
"  VcJiite  fratres  mei,  ostendam  vobis  Alanum  ^ ;" 
which   the   author   thus   translates,   or  rather  com- 


^     [Concerning    whom,    see  ^  Camd.  Eliz.  in  hoc  anno. 

Wood's  Athen.  1.  531.]  "  Pitz.  in  Vita,  p.  793. 

s   [Wood's  Ath.  I.  268.]  X  "Watson's  Quodlibets,  p. 97. 


CENT.  XVI. 


(yf'  Britain. 


203 


ments  on :  "  Come,  my  brethren,  and  I  will  shew 
"  you  a  man,  in  Anglia  born,  to  whom  all  Europe 
"  may  give  place  for  his  high  prudence,  reverend 
"  countenance,  and  purport  of  government."  His 
loss  was  much  lamented  by  the  catholics,  (not  with- 
out cause,)  whose  gravity  and  authority  ha<l  done 
many  good  offices  in  composing  the  grudgings  which 
began  to  grow  betwixt  secular  priests  and  Jesuits  ; 
which  private  heartburnings,  soon  after  his  death, 
blazed  out  in  the  prison  of  Wisbich  into  an  open 
scandal,  as  now  we  come  to  report  y. 

13.  Here  I  protest  (though  uncertain  how  far  to 
find  belief)  that  I  take  no  delight  in  relating-  these 
discontents,    much    less    shall    my    pen    Aviden    the 


A.l).  i.s94. 

37  ^-^^■^'■ 


A  sad  stih- 
jeut  to 
write  of 
Cbiistiau 
discords. 


y  [Cardinal  Allen  was  much 
beloved  by  the  secular  priests. 
It  might  almost  be  said  that  he 
was  the  only  person  at  that 
time  who,  by  his  eminence  and 
character,  had  sufficient  au- 
thority to  control  the  Jesuits, 
then  beginning  to  shew  some- 
what of  their  ambitious  spirit. 
Watson  describes  him,  in  his 
quaint  way,  as  "  a  man  in 
"  whose  very  countenance  was 
"  pourtrayed  out  a  map  of  po- 
"  litical  government  indeed, 
"  stained  with  a  sable  dye  of 
"  gravity,  sublimated  with  a 
"  reverend  majesty  in  his  looks, 
"  yielding  favour  and  forcing 
"  fear, — one  most  reverenced 
"  of  our  nation,  and  worthily 
*'  reverenced  of  us,  one  or  two 
"  actions  excepted,  whereunto 
"  he  was  drawn  by  father  Par- 
"  sons'  exorbitant  courses  and 
"  impudency ;  yea,  even  our 
"  common  adversaries  [the  pro- 
"  testants]    did    commend    his 


"  mild  spirit  in  comparison  of 
"  Dr.  Saunders,  both  ^vriting 
"  about  one  time,  but  with  a 
"  far  different  drift,  intent,  and 
"  manner  of  proceeding.  His 
"  grace  never  liked  of  invad- 
"  ing,  conversions  of  countries 
"  with  bloody  blades ;  and 
"  howsoever  he  was  drawn  (as 
"  wearied  out  with  impostors, 
"  exprobrations,  and  expostu- 
"  lations  of  father  Parsons  and 
"  others)  to  some  odious  at- 
"  tempts  against  his  dread  so- 
"  vereign  and  dear  country, 
'*  both  which  he  with  no  less 
"  loialty  honoured  than  dearly 
"  affected  in  his  best  thoughts, 
"  yet  afterwards  he  retired 
"  himself  from  those  seditious 
"  courses,  rightly  condemning 
"  and  contemning  all  such  fac- 
"  tious  dispositions  in  his  very 
"heart."  Quodl.  p.91.  A  Life 
of  Cardinal  Allen  was  written 
by  Fitzherbert.] 


204  The  Church  Uiatory  isook  ix. 

A. D.  1594. wound   betwixt    them;    for    though   I   a])prove   the 

— opinions  of  neither,  yet  am  I  so  much  friend  to  the 

persons  of  both  parties  as  not  to  make  much  to 
myself  of  their  discords  :  the  rather  because  no 
Christian  can  heartily  laugh  at  the  factions  of  his 
fiercest  enemies,  because  that  siglit  at  the  same 
time  ))incheth  him  with  the  sad  remembrance  that 
such  divisions  that  have  formerly,  do  at  the  present, 
or  may  hereafter,  be  found  amongst  those  of  his 
own  profession  ;  such  is  the  frailty  of  human  nature, 
in  what  side  soever.  However,  hereafter  let  not 
pa])ists  without  cause  or  measure  vaunt  of  their 
unity,  seeing  their  pretended  ship  of  St.  Peter  is 
not  so  solidly  compacted  but  that  it  may  S[)ring  a 
leak ;  nor  let  them  boast  so  confidently  of  their 
sufferings,  and  blame  our  severity  unto  them,  as  if 
enduring  such  hard  usage  in  their  imprisonment. 
Surely,  like  Joseph,  tJieir  feet  were  not  hurt  in  the 
stocks,  the  iron  did  not  enter  into  their  soid^ ;  neither, 
with  Jeremy,  were  they  cast  into  a  dirty  dungeo7i, 
where  they  sunk  in  mire  ^ :  nor,  with  Peter,  were 
they  bound  with  two  chains  ^  ;  nor,  with  Paul  and 
Silas,  were  they  thrust  into  the  itmer  prison,  and 
made  fast '' ;  but  had,  in  their  durance,  liberty,  list, 
and  leisure  to  begin,  foment,  and  prosecute  this 
violent  schism  betwixt  themselves. 
The  begin.       Y4i.  Until  this  time  the  prime  catholics  in  Wis- 

luiig  of  the  '- 

sihisrn  be-  bich  Castle  had  lived  there  in  restraint,  with  great 

twixt  the  ,  1  •  1       1  1 

seculars      uulty  aud  coucord  "  ;  and  the  papists  do  brag  that 


and  tlie 
Jesuits. 


^   Psalm  cv.  18,  "  ter    paludes   loco   insaluber- 

^  Jer.  xxxviii.  6.  "  rimo    situm    ad    includendos 

^  Acts  xii.  6.  "  sacerdotes  catholicos  destina- 

c  Acts  xvi.  24.  "  turn,  episcopo,  abbate,   mul- 

(1  ["  Wisbvccnse  castrum  in-  "  tisquc  iiisignissimis  nobilita- 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  205 

then  and  there  the  Eno^lish  church  was  most  visible,  a.  d.  1594. 

37  Eliz. 

until  one  father  Weston^,  alias  Edmonds,  a  Jesuit, ^ 

coming  thither,  erected  a  government  amongst  them, 
making  certain  sanctions  and  orders,  which  all  were 
bound  to  observe  *^;  secretly  procuring  subjects  to 
himself,  and  claiming  a  sui)eriority  over  all  the 
catholics  there  ;  yet  so  cunningly  he  contrived  the 
matter,  that  he  seemed  not  ambitiously  to  affect, 
but  religiously  to  accept,  this  authority  proffered 
unto,  yea,  seemingly  forced  upon  him ;  for  one  of 
his  friends  writes  to  father  Henry  Garnett,  provin- 
cial, then  living  in  England,  to  this  effect : 

"  Good  father  Weston,  in  the  humility  of  his 
"  heart,  lies  on  his  bed,  like  the  man  sick  of  the 
"  palsy,  in  the  gospel ;  nor  will  he  walk  confidently 
"  before  others  in  the  way  of  the  righteous,  except 
"  first  he  be  let  down  through  the  tiles,  and  it  be 
"  said  unto  him  from  the  provincial.  Arise,  take  up 
"  thy  bed,  and  walk  &." 

Yet,  if  the  seculars  may  be  believed,  he  did  not 
only  arise,  but  run,  before  that  word  of  command 
given  him  by  Garnett,  and  put  his  jurisdiction  in 
execution.  Besides  those  of  his  own  society,  many 
of  the  secular  priests  submitted  themselves  unto 
him,  seduced,  say  some  **,  by  the  seeming  sanctity 


"  turn  fuit  inclusis  confessori-  <*   [Wood,  II.  275.] 

"  bus,  quorum  multitudo,  pie-  ^  [See  Watson's  Quodl.  p.  2, 

"  tas,  eruditio,  industria,  con-  sq.   Wood's  Ath.  II.  275.] 

"  cordiaita  sieperefocillarat  ca-  %  [See  Dcclaratio  IMotuum, 

"  tholicos,  ita  pluries  devicerat  &c.  p.  13,  of  which  these  words 

"  hscreticos  ut  ibidem  ecclesia  are  a  literal  translation.] 

"  Anglicana    maxime    visibilis  ^    Declaratio    iMotuum,    &c. 

"  celebrisque  haberetur."    De-  ad  Clem.  VIII.  exhibita,  p.  12. 

claratio  Motuum,  p.  11.]  [The  following  is  the  full  title 


206 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


AD.  1594.  of  the  Jesuits,  and  having  their  judgments  bribed  to 

that  side  by  unequal  proportions  of  money  received  ; 

besides  promising  themselves  that  in  case  the  land 
was  invaded,  by  the  activity  of  the  Jesuits  all  power 
and  preferment  would  be  at  their  dispose,  and  so 
they  should  be  sooner  and  higher  advanced. 


of  this  rare  and  curious  book  : 
"  Declaratio  IMotuum  ac  tur- 
"  bationum  quee  ex  controver- 
"  siis  inter  Jesuitas  iisque  in 
"  omnibus  faventem  D.  Georg. 
"  Blackwellum  Archijiresbyte- 
"  rum  et  Sacerdotes  Semina- 
"  riorum  in  Anglia,  ab  obitu 
"  Cardinalis  Alani  piae  memo- 
"  riae  ad  annum  usque  1601. 
"  Ad  S.  D.  N.  Clementem  oc- 
"  tavum  exhibita  ab  ipsis  Sa- 
"  cerdotibus  qui  scliismatis 
"  aliorumque  criminum  sunt 
"  insimulati.  Rhotomagi  apud 
"  Jacobum  INIoleeum,  sub  signo 
"  Phoenicis.  1601."  4to.  Ac- 
cording to  PittSj  (p.  8iOj)  this 
book  was  written  by  John 
Hurst,  a  secular  priest ;  but 
according  to  Wood,  (Ath.  II. 
390,)  by  Christopher  Bagshaw, 
the  violent  opponent  of  father 
Parsons,  who  published  also 
another  work  of  a  similar  ar- 
gument, entitled  "  A  true  Re- 
"  lation  of  the  Faction  begun 
"  at  Wisbich  by  Father  Ed- 
"  monds,  alias  Weston,  a  Je- 
"  suit,  1595,  and  continued 
"  since  by  Father  Walley, 
"  alias  Garnet,  the  Provincial 
"  of  the  Jesuits  in  England, 
"  and  by  Father  Parsons  in 
"  Rome,  with  their  adherents, 
"  against  us  the  secular  Priests, 
"  their  brethren  and  fellow- 
"  prisoners,  that  disliked  of 
"  novelties,     and     thought    it 


"  dishonourable  to  the  ancient 
"  Ecclesiastical  Discipline  of 
"  the  Catholic  Church  that 
"  secular  Priests  should  be 
"  governed  by  Jesuits.  Hen- 
"  ley  :  imprinted  1601."  4to. 
Both  of  these  tracts  bear  in- 
ternal marks  of  having  been 
composed  by  the  same  person  ; 
both  give  a  very  full  account 
of  the  dissensions  between  the 
seculars  and  the  Jesuits  ;  a  pas- 
sage in  English  history  hitherto 
rarely  touched  upon,  but  yet 
intimately  connected  with  some 
most  important  events  in  this 
and  the  subsequent  reign.  Be- 
sides these  persons  already 
mentioned,  William  Watson,  a 
secular  priest,  (executed  in 
the  subsequent  reign  for  his 
concern  in  the  plot  of  Grey, 
Cobham,  and  others,)  took  a 
part  in  this  controversy,  and 
wrote  a  somewhat  voluminous 
work,  important  for  the  his- 
tory of  the  English  Roman 
Catholics,  called,  "  A  Deca- 
"  chordon  of  Ten  Quodlibetical 
"  Questions,  &c.,"  of  which 
some  further  account  will  be 
found  below.  He  was  like- 
wise the  author  of  an  anony- 
mous pamphlet  on  the  same 
subject,  entitled  "  A  Dialogue 
"  betwixt  a  secular  Priest  and 
'*  a  lay  Gentleman  concerning 
"  some  Points  objected  by  the 
"  Jesuitical     Faction     against 


CENT.  XVI.  ()f  Britain.  207 

15.  But  the  greatest  number  and  learned  sort  ofA.  d.  1594. 
the   secular  priests   stoutly  resisted   his  superiority, -^^^ — ^— 
affirming  how  formerly  it  had  been  offered  to  Thomas  la^refuse 
Watson,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  (late  prisoner  amongst  \'j,"[j'„^, 
them,)  and  he  refused  it,  as  inconsistent  with  their  ^"*^ '''•'>'• 
present  condition,  affliction  making  them  equals,  and 
a  prison  putting  a  parity  betwixt  them.    If  any  order 
might  pretend  to  this  priority,  it  was  most  proper 
for  the   Benedictines,  extant   in    England   above  a 
thousand  years  ago ;  that  the  Jesuits  were  punies  ; 
and  if  all  orders  should  sit  down,  as  Jacob's  children 
at  the  table  of  Joseph,  the  eldest  according  to  his 
age,  and  the  youngest  according  to  his  youths  the 
last  and  least  place  of  honour  was  due  unto  them ; 
that  the  secular  priests  had  borne  the  heat  of  the  day 
in  preaching  and  persecution,  some  of  them  having 
endured  above  twenty  years'  imprisonment  for  con- 
science sake,  (as  Mr.  Bluet  for  one  \)  before  some 
of  the  Jesuits  knew  what  durance  meant ;  that  Wes- 
ton was  not  eminent  for  learning,  religion,  or  any 
prime   quality,   save    only  the    affecting  that   place 
which  his  betters  had  declined ;  that  it  was  mon- 
strous that  he,  being  a  Jesuit,  and  so  a  member  of 
another  society,  should   be   made   a  head  of  their 


"  such  secular  Priests  as  have  Anatomy  of  Popish   Tyranny, 

"  shewed  their  dislike  of  3Ir.  (4to,  1603,)  in  the  "Caveat  to 

"  Blackwell    and    the  Jesuits'  "  the  Reader  ;"  in   which  co- 

"  Proceedings.         Printed     at  pious    extracts    from    most    of 

"  Rhemes,  1601."  4to.    Fathex  the  pamphlets  will  be   found. 

Parsons  defended  the  Jesuits  ;  See  also  a  paper   in    Strype's 

and  a  list  of  his  writings  upon  Annals,    IV.  104,   sq.,    and    a 

this  occasion  is  given  by  Wood  further    account    of    some     of 

in  the  Life  of  Parsons,  Ath.  I.  these  books,  ib.  p.  318.] 
356.      But  the  fullest  account  i  Gen.  xxxiv.  33. 

of    the    publications    on    both  k  Watson's  Quodlibets,  p.  4. 

sides,  will  be  found   in   Bell's 


208  The  Church  Hisfoty  hook  ix. 

AD.  I5Q4.  l)ody.     The  lay-catholics  were  much  offended  with 

'""  the  schism  ;   some  withheld,  others  threatening  to 

withhold,  their  charity  from  both  parties,  conceiving 

it  the  ready  means,  Avhen  maintenance  was  detained 

from  both  sides,  to  starve  them  into  acfreement. 

v/eston  16,  One  might  admire  why  father  Weston  should 

employed  , 

iiut  as  a  so  earnestly  desire  so  silly  a  dominion,  having  his 
clistover  power  as  well  as  his  own  person  confined  within  the 
.^/ti^e'^gpu.  walls  of  Wisbich  Castle,  (a  narrow  diocese,)  only 
lar  priests,  ^q  domineer  over  a  few  prisoners ;  the  gaoler,  yea, 
the  very  turnkey  being  his  superior  to  control  him, 
if  offering  to  exceed  that  compass.  But  oh  the 
sweetness  of  supremacy,  though  in  never  so  small 
a  circuit !  It  pleased  his  pride  to  be  prior  of  a 
prison,  but  agent  was  the  title  wherewith  he  styled 
himself^;  indeed  the  English  Jesuits,  both  abroad  in 
England  and  beyond  the  seas,  made  use  of  Weston's 
forwardness  to  try  the  temper  of  the  secular  priests, 
and  to  make  this  bold  Jesuit  to  back  and  break  a 
skittish  colt  for  further  designs.  If  Weston  were 
unhorsed,  his  fall  would  be  little  lamented,  and  he 
might  thank  his  own  boldness  in  adventuring,  and 
the  ill  managing  of  his  place ;  if  he  sat  the  beast, 
and  it  proved  tame,  then  others  would  up  and  ride  ; 
and  father  Garnett,  provincial  of  the  Jesuits,  intended 
in  like  manner  to  procure  from  the  pope  a  supe- 
riority over  all  the  secular  priests  in  England. 
Wisbich  prison  would  be  enlarged  all  over  the 
kingdom,  and  the  precedent  would  reach  far  in  the 
consequence  thereof;  which  increased  the  secular 
opposition  against  this  leading  case  of  jurisdiction. 
i!e  will  not      lY,  About  tliis  time  came  to  Wisbich  an  aged 

stand  to  the  '--' 

1  Declaratio  Motuum,  &c.  p.  17. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  209 

priest,  who  had  given  great  testimony  of  the  ability  a.  d.  1594. 

of  his  judgment  and  ardency  of  his  affections  to  the — L 

catholic  cause,  being  the  general  collector  of  thetionofa 
charitable  contributions  unto  the  prisoners  '"  ;  in  fholeil  '*^*** 
which  place  he  had  been  so  diligent  in  gathering,  "'"i'""*^- 
secret  in  conveying,  faithful  in  delivering,  unpartial 
in  dispensing  such  sums  committed  unto  him,  that 
deservedly  he  had  purchased  reputation  to  himself; 
who,  as  he  had  been  a  benefactor  to  both  parties, 
so  now  he  was  made  an  arbitrator  betwixt  them, 
with  promise  of  both  sides  to  rest  satisfied  with  his 
decision.  He  condemneth  the  Jesuits  guilty  of  a 
scandalous  separation,  and  that  Weston  ought  to 
desist  from  his  superiority ;  but  the  Jesuits  would 
not  stand  to  his  sentence,  confessing  their  separation 
scandalous,  but  only  per  accidens,  and  therefore  not 
to  be  left  off.  And  whereas  the  aforesaid  priest 
had  determined  that  that  sejiaration  could  not  be 
continued  without  sin,  the  Jesuits,  in  derision, 
demanded  of  him  whether  he  meant  a  venial  sin  or 
a  mortal  ;  and  so  the  whole  business  took  no 
effect. 

18.    Some   months   after,   two    reverend   priests,  ^t  ^''»st '" 

^  forced,  by 

often  sent  for  by  both  sides,  were  by  joint  consent  letters  from 
made  judges  in  this  cause,  who  resolved  that  Wes- daif to '" 
ton's  agency  should  be  abolished  as  the  original  ofh^s'^gency. 
evil,  and  seminary  of  much  discord  "  ;  and  because 
Weston   refused    to    obey   their    order,    these   two 
priests   posted    up   to   London,  where   Garnet,    the 
Jesuits'  provincial,  did  lodge  ;  and  from  him,  with 
much  ado,  obtained  jieremptory  letters  to  Weston, 
presently  to  leave  off  his  pretended  sujieriority :  a 

in    [lb.  p.  1 6.]  n    [lb.  p.  ,8.] 

FULLER,   VOL.  V.  P 


210 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


A.D.  1594.  message  which  went  to  the  proud  Jesuit's  heart, 
-■--  — '—  who  \vas  formerly  heard  to  say  that  "  he  had  rather 
"  throw  himself  headlong  from  the  castle-wall,  than 
"  desist  from  his  office  °."  But  now  there  was  no 
remedy,  but  he  must  obey,  desiring  only  he  might 
make  a  speech  to  his  society,  exhorting  them  to 
unity  and  concord ;  and  in  the  midst  of  his  oration, 
as  if  he  would  have  surrendered  his  soul  and  place 
both  together,  he  fell  speechless  into  a  swoon?,  and 
hardly  recovered  again ;  so  mortal  a  wound  it  is  to 
a  proud  heart  to  part  with  authority.  Thus  ended 
Weston's  agency,  the  short  continuance  whereof  was 
the  best  commendation  of  his  command. 

19.  But  this  was  but  a  palliate  cure,  to  skin  the 
sore  over  which  festered  within.  The  enmity  still 
continued,  seculars  complaining  that  the  Jesuits 
traduced  them  to  lay  catholics,  as  cold  and  remiss 
in  the  cause,  only  dull  to  follow  beaten  paths,  not 
active  to  invent  more  compendious  ways  for  the 
advance  of  religion.  The  Jesuits  also  boasted  much 
of  their  own  merit — how  their  order,  though  last 
starting,  had  with  its  speed  overtook  and  overrun 
all  before  them.  Indeed  they  are  excellent  at  the 
art  of  self-praising,  not  directly,  but  by  certain  con- 
sequence ;  for  though  no  man  blazed  his  own  praise, 
(for  one  to  be  a  herald  to  commend  himself,  the 
same  on  the  same  is  false  blazon,  as  well  against  the 
rules  of  modesty  as  prudence,)  yet  every  one  did 
praise  his  partner,  laying  an  obligation  on  him  to 
do  the  like,  who  in  justice  must  do  as  much,  and 
in  bounty  often  did  more,  gratefully  repaying  the 
commendations  lent  him  with   interest;    and  thus 


The 
schism, 
notwith- 
standing, 
continues 
and  in- 
creases. 


o    lb.  p.  20. 


P  Ibidem. 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  IBritain. 


211 


mutually  arching  up  one  another,  they  filled  the  ears  a.  d.  1595. 
of  all  papists  with  loud  relations  of  the  transcendent  ~ —  "'' 
industry,  piety,  learning  of  the  men  of  their  society, 
to  the  manifest  derogation  of  all  other  orders.     But 
more  of  these  discords  in  the  year  following. 

20.  About  this  time  throughout  En^i^land  beg-an  The  strict 
the  more  solemn  and  strict  observation  of  the  Lord's  the'sa'wjath 
day  1,    (hereafter,   both    in    writing    and    preaching,  yj^g/*^" 
commonly  called  the  Sabbath,)  occasioned  by  a  book 
this  year  set  forth  by  one  Nicholas  Bound,  doctor  of 
divinity,  (and   enlarged  with  additions   anno  I6O6,) 
wherein  these  following  opinions  are  maintained '' : 


q   [Burnet,  II.  59.} 

r  [The  first  edition  of  this 
book,  which  is  exceedingly- 
rare,  (for  reasons  which  will 
be  seen  afterwards^)  was  pub- 
lished at  London  in  1595,  with 
the  following  title  :  "  The  Doc- 
"  trine  of  the  Sabbath  plainly 
"  laid  forth,  and  soundly  proved 
"  by  testimonies  both  of  holy 
"  Scripture,  and  also  of  old 
"  and  new  Ecclesiastical  Writ- 
"  ers  ;  declaring,  first,  from 
"  what  things  God  would  have 
"  us  straightly  to  rest  upon  the 
"  Lord's  Day,  and  then  by 
"  what  means  we  ought  pub- 
"  licly  and  privately  to  sanctify 
"  the  same  :  together  with  the 
"  sundry  Abuses  of  our  time 
"^  in  both  these  kinds,  and  how 
''  they  ought  to  be  reformed. 
"  Divided  into  two  books,  by 
"  Nicholas  Bownde,  Doctor  of 
"  Divinity."  This  edition  was 
dedicated  (from  Norton  in 
Suffolk)  to  Robert  the  unfor- 
tunate earl  of  Essex.  In  the 
second  edition,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  1606,   the   title   was 


altered ;  many  material  changes 
were  introduced,  and  it  was 
also  considerably  enlarged.  The 
dedication  to  the  earl  of  Es- 
sex, and  the  address  to  the 
*'  Godly  and  Christian  reader," 
were  suppressed ;  and  the  first 
book  was  now  dedicated  "  To 
"  the  Right  Reverend  Father 
"  in  God,  and  Right  Honour- 
"  able  Lord  Doctor  John  Je- 
"  gon.  Lord  Bishop  of  Nor- 
"  wich  ;"  the  second  book  ''To 
"  Humphrey  Tyndall,  D.  D., 
"  Dean  of  Ely,  and  Master  of 
"  Queen's  College  in  Cam- 
"  bridge." 

In  some  things,  perhaps,  the 
writer  may  have  carried  his 
notions  too  far  ;  but  his  book 
in  general  is  Avritten  in  a  truly 
Christian  spirit,  and  ought  by 
no  means  to  be  considered  as 
the  fruit  of  puritan  principles. 
For  proof,  these  extracts  may 
suffice.  Speaking  of  his  work, 
he  says,  "  All  this  I  most  wil- 
"  lingly  subject  unto  the  judi- 
"  clous  and  learned  censures  of 
"  the  most  reverend  fathers  and. 

P  3 


212 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  IX. 


A.  D.  1595. 

38  Eliz. 


i.  That  the  commandment  of  sanctifying  every 
seventh  day,  as  in  the  Mosaical  Decalogue,  is  moral 
and  perpetual  ^ 

ii.  That  whereas  all  other  things  in  the  Jewsh 
church  were  taken  away,  (priesthood,  sacrifices,  and 
sacraments,)  this  sabbath  was  so  changed  that  it 
still  remaineth  *. 

iii.  That  there  is  a  great  reason  why  w^e  Chris- 
tians should  take  ourselves  as  straitly  bound  to  rest 
upon  the  Lord's  day,  as  the  Jews  were  upon  their 
sabbath ;  for,  seeing  it  is  one  of  the  moral  com- 
mandments, it  bindeth  us  as  well  as  them,  for  they 
are  all  of  equal  authority  ^. 

iv.  The  rest  upon  this  day  must  be  a  notable 
and  singular  rest,  a  most  careful,   exact,  and  pre- 


"  grave  divines  of  the  church 
"  in  these  united  kingdoms 
"  under  the  name  of  Great 
"  Britain ;  and  more  particu- 
"  larly  the  former  book  unto 
''  your  lordship's  pen,  whom 
"  now  the  Lord  hath  made 
"  overseer  and  judge  of  all  the 
"  learning  and  manners  of  the 
"  ministers  in  Suffolk  and 
"  Norfolk  ;  and  therefore  who 
"  not  only  is  able  sufficiently 
"  to  decide  all  controversies 
"  here  handled,  but  also  to 
"  whom,  by  a  certain  peculiar 
"  right,  it  belongeth  to  censure 
"  whatsoever  is  here  uttered." 
Elsewhere  he  observes,  "  If 
"  any  thing  shall  seem  new 
"and  strange,  and  therefore 
"  justly  to  be  suspected,  (as 
"  all  novelties  for  the  most 
"  part  are,)  I  do  desire  that 
"  they  may  be  measured  not 
"  by  the  crooked  rule  of  the 


"  common  practice  of  the 
"  world,  by  which  many  old 
"  things  will  seem  new,  but 
"  altogether  by  the  straight 
"  line  of  God's  word,  which 
"  only  can  give  us  the  full 
"  measure  of  every  thing  ; 
"  from  whence,  if  the  same 
"  thing  shall  be  found  to  have 
"  authority  and  antiquity,  I 
"  hope  upon  better  advertise- 
"  ments  they  will  be  more 
"  reverenced  and  embraced." 
See  also  Isaac  Walton's  re- 
marks upon  him  in  his  Life  of 
Hooker,  where  he  states  that 
Dr.  Bound  was  desired  by 
archbishop  Whitgift  to  accept 
the  mastership  of  the  Temple, 
p.  28,] 

«  [Epist.  Ded.] 

t  Dr.  Bound's  book  of  the 
Sabbath,  p.  91. 

"  lb.  p.  247. 


CENT.  XVI. 


of  Britabi. 


213 


cise  rest,   after    another    manner    than    men 
accustomed  '^. 

V.  Scholars  on  that  day  not  to  study  the  liberal 
arts,  nor  lawyers  to  consult  the  case  nor  peruse 
men's  evidences  y. 

vi.  Sergeants,  apparitors,  and  sumners  to  be  re- 
strained from  executing  their  offices  ^. 

vii.  Justices  not  to  examine  causes  for  the  con- 
servation of  the  peace  ^. 

viii.  That  ringing  of  more  bells  than  one  that  day 
is  not  to  be  justified  ^. 

ix.  No  solemn  feasts  nor  wedding  dinners  to  be 
made  on  that  day,  with  permission,  notwithstanding, 
of  the  same  to  '^  lords,  knights,  and  gentlemen  ^  of 


arcA.D.  1595. 

38  Eliz. 


X  P.  124.        y  P.  163. 

z  P.  164.  a  P.  166. 

^  P.  202.  [After  stating 
that  for  the  congregation  to 
meet  at  one  time  some  notice 
must  be  given,  and  as  the  trum- 
pets and  horns  of  the  priests 
and  Levites  were  ordained  un- 
der the  law,  so  the  ringing  of 
bells  is  of  use  among  us,  he 
proceeds  :  "  Therefore,  though 
"  I  do  not  see  how  the  common 
"  jangling  of  bells  that  is  used 
"  in  too  many  places,  and  the 
"  disordered  ringing  at  other 
"  times  of  the  sabbath,  and  for 
"  other  ends,  should  be  a  work 
"  of  the  sabbath,  and  how  it 
"  can  then  be  justified,  for 
"  uhich  the  late  ecclesiastical 
"  canons   of  our  church   have 

*'  taken  order,   (Can.  88) 

"  yet  the  ringing  of  one  bell, 
"  according  to  the  custom  of 
"  the  place  at  one  time,  and 
"  the  same  or  some  other  at 
"  another  time that  so  all 


"  might  be  present  at  the  ser- 
"  vice  of  God  from  the  hegin- 
"  imig  to  the  ending,  and,  as 
"  it  is  rightly  called,  '  Common 

"  Prayer' this  end  maketh 

"  the  labour  acceptable  unto 
"  God."  This  latter  passage 
particularly  alludes  to  a  custom 
introduced  by  the  puritans  at 
this  time.  Not  content  with 
WTiting  and  speaking  against  the 
Common  Prayer  Book,  such  of 
them  as  had  livings  were  wont  to 
hire  a  rude  and  ignorant  substi- 
tute (the  ruder  the  better)  to 
read  the  prayers,  themselves  not 
attending  till  the  time  of  the 
sermon.  This  practice  soon 
spread  among  the  people,  and 
was  attended  with  infinite  injury 
to  the  cause  of  practical  piety.] 

c  P. 211. 

^  [This  arose  from  a  mistake, 
as  it  appears  to  me,  of  the  au- 
thor's meaning  "jconcerning  the 
"  feasts  of  noblemen,  or  their 
"  ordinary  diet  upon  this  day, 

p  3 


214  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1505.  quality ;    which  some  conceive  not  so  fair  dealing 

38  Eliz.         .   1     ,  . 

With  him  ^. 

X.  All  honest  recreations  and  pleasures,  lawful  on 
other  days,  (as  shooting,  fencing,  bowling,)  on  this 
day  to  be  forborne  ^. 

xi.  No  man  to  speak  or  talk  of  pleasures,  or  any 
other  worldly  matter  ?. 

It  is  almost  incredible  how  taking  this  doctrine 
was,  partly  because  of  its  own  purity,  and  partly  for 
the  eminent  piety  of  such  persons  as  maintained  it ; 
so  that  the  Lord's  day,  especially  in  corporations, 
began  to  be  precisely  kept,  people  becoming  a  law 
to  themselves,  forbearing  such  sports  as  yet  by 
statute  permitted — yea,  many  rejoicing  at  their  own 
restraint  herein.  On  this  day  the  stoutest  fencer 
laid  down  the  buckler,  the  most  skilful  archer  un- 
bent his  bow,  counting  all  shooting  besides  the 
mark ;  May-games  and  Morish-dances  grew  out  of 
request  ;    and   good    reason   that    bells    should  be 


"  which  in  comparison  may  be  churches,    he    thus    proceeds  : 

"  called  feasts  ;"  in  speaking  of  "  And  this  I  can  say  by  expe- 

which  he  alludes  to  the  prac-  "  rience  of  some  who  for  their 

tice  of  noblemen  of  keeping  an  "  religion  have  borne  credit  in 

open  table,  and  the  provisions  "  the    church,    and    for    their 

necessary  for  the  large  house-  "  authority  have  carried  some 

holds  maintained  by  the  nobi-  "  countenance  in  the  common- 

lity  of  those   times.     This    is  "  wealth,   that   on   the   Lord's 

evident  from  what  further  fol-  "  day  they  have  had  their  tables 

lows;  for,  after  commending  the  "both    Christianly    and    wor- 

custom  of  some  of  the  foreign  "  shipfuUy  furnished,  without 

reformed    churches    of  having  "  any  hindrance  of  the  worship 

two  or  more  public  assemblies  "  of  God  at  all,  notwithstand- 

in  the  forenoon,  and  as  many  in  "  ing  the  number  of  their  daily 

the  afternoon,  and  advising  the  "  retinue  and  ordinary  familj'^ 

nobility    of    this    kingdom     to  '•  hath  been  great."  p.  212.3 

divide  the  duties  of  their  ser-  e  Pp.  206 — 209. 

vants,   that    all    may  have   an  ^  P.  102. 

ojjportunity   of   attending    the  &  Pp.272 — 274. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  215 

silenced  from  jingling  about  men's  legs,  if  their  very  a.  d.  15^95. 
ringing  in  steeples  were  adjudged  unlawful.  Some-^ — ^- — 
of  them  were  ashamed  of  their  former  pleasures, 
like  children  which,  grown  bigger,  blushing  them- 
selves out  of  their  rattles  and  whistles  ;  others 
forbear  them  for  fear  of  their  superiors ;  and  many 
left  them  off  out  of  a  politic  compliance,  lest  otlier- 
wise  they  should  be  accomited  licentious. 

21.  Yet  learned  men  were  much  divided  in  tlieir 
judgments  about  these  Sabbatarian  doctrines:  some 
embraced  them  as  ancient  truths,  consonant  to  scrip- 
ture, long  disused  and  neglected,  now  seasonably 
revived  for  the  increase  of  piety  ;  others  conceived 
them  grounded  on  a  wrong  bottom,  but  because 
they  tended  to  the  manifest  advance  of  religion  it 
was  pity  to  oppose  them,  seeing  none  have  just 
reason  to  complain,  being  deceived  into  their  own 
good ;  but  a  third  sort  flatly  fell  out  with  these 
positions,  as  galling  men's  necks  with  a  Jewish 
yoke,  against  the  liberty  of  Christians ;  that  Christ, 
as  lord  of  the  sabbath,  had  removed  the  rigour 
thereof,  and  allowed  men  lawful  recreations ;  that 
this  doctrine  put  an  unequal  lustre  on  the  Sunday, 
on  set  purpose  to  eclipse  all  other  holy  days,  to  the 
derogation  of  the  authority  of  the  church  ;  that  this 
strict  observance  was  set  up  out  of  faction,  to  be  a 
character  of  difference,  to  brand  all  for  libertines 
who  did  not  entertain  it. 

22.  However,   for   some    years   together  in    this  Thomas 
controversy   Dr.  Bound   alone   carried    the   garland  fir^f^i'lb. 
away,  none  offering   openly  to  oppose,  and  not  so  |,j*j|^p|!P"^ 
much  as  a  feather  of  a  quill  in  print  did  wag  against  i^"""«i's 

^  _    ^  00  Gpinions. 

him ;   yea,   as  he  in  his  second   edition   observeth, 
that  many  both   in  their  preachings,  writings,  and 

p  4 


216  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1595.  disputations  did  concur  with  him  in  that  argument ; 

— and  three  several  profitable  treatises  (one  made  by 

INIr.  Greenham)  were  within  few  years  successively 
written  by  three  godly,  learned  ministers  ^\  But 
the  first  that  gave  a  check  to  the  full  speed  of  this 
doctrine  was  Thomas  Rogers,  of  Horninger  in  Suf- 
folk, in  his  preface  to  the  Book  of  Articles.  And 
now,  because  our  present  age  begins  to  dawn,  and 
we  come  within  the  view  of  that  truth  whose  foot- 
steps heretofore  we  only  followed  at  distance,  I  will 
interpose  nothing  of  my  own,  but  of  an  historian 
only  turn  a  notary,  for  the  behoof  of  the  reader, 
faithfully  transcribing  such  passages  as  we  meet  with 
in  order  of  time  : 

"  Notwithstanding,  what  the  brethren  wanted  in 
"  strength  and  learning,  they  had  in  wiliness ;  and 
"  though  they  lost  much  one  way,  in  the  general 
"  and  main  point  of  their  discipline,  yet  recovered 
"  they  not  a  little  advantage  another  way,  by  an  odd 
"  and  new  device  of  theirs  in  a  special  article  of 
"  their  classical  instructions  ^ ;  for  while  these  [the 
"  reformers]  worthies  of  our  church  were  employing 
"  their  engines  and  forces,  partly  in  defending  the 
"  present  government  ecclesiastical,  partly  in  assault- 
"  ing  the  presbytery  and  new  discipline,  even  at  that 
"  very  instant  the  brethren,  (knowing  themselves 
"  too  weak  either  to  overthrow  our  holds,  and  that 
"  which  we  hold,  or  to  maintain  their  own,)  they 
"  abandoned  quite  the  bulwarks  which  they  had 
"  raised,  and  gave  out  were  impregnable,  suffering 
"  us  to  beat  them  down  without  any  or  very  small 

h  Dr.  Bound,  in  his  Preface  »  Rogers's  Preface  to  the 
to  the  Reader,  second  edition.       Articles,  §.20. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  217 

"resistance;  and  yet,  not  careless  of  their  affairs, a. 0.1595. 

"  left  not  the  wars  for  all   that,  but   from  an  odd  — ^— 

"  corner  and  after  a  new  fashion  which  we  little 
*'  thought  of,  (such  was  their  cunning,)  set  upon  us 
"  afresh  again,  by  dispersing  in  jirinted  books  (which 
"  for  ten  years'  space  before  they  had  been  in  ham- 
"  mering  among  themselves  to  make  them  complete) 
*'  their  sabbath  speculations  and  presbyterian  (that 
"  is,  more  than  either  kingly  or  popely)  directions 
"  for  the  observation  of  the  Lord's  day." 

And  in  the  next  page  he  proceedeth,  "  '^  It  is  a 
"  comfort  unto  my  soul,  and  will  be  till  my  dying 
"  hour,  that  I  have  been  the  man  and  the  means 
"  that  the  Sabbatarian  errors  and  impieties  are 
"  brought  into  light  and  knowledge  of  the  state  ; 
"  whereby,  whatsoever  else,  sure  I  am  this  good 
"  hath  ensued,  namely,  that  the  said  books  of  the 
"  sabbath,  comprehending  the  above-mentioned,  and 
"  many  moe  such  fearful  and  heretical  assertions, 
"  hath  been  both  called  in  and  forbidden  any  more 
"  to  be  printed  and  made  common.  Your  grace's 
"  predecessor,  archbishop  Whitgift,  by  his  letters  and 
"  officers  at  synods  and  visitations,  anno  1599,  did 
"  the  one ;  and  sir  John  Popham,  lord  chief  justice 
"  of  England,  at  Bury  St.  Edmund's  in  Suffolk,  anno 
"1600,  did  the  other  V 

But,  though  both  minister  and  magistrate  jointly 
endeavoured  to  suppress  Bound's  book,  with  the 
doctrine  therein   contained,  yet   all   their   care   did 


k  Idem,  §.  23.  their  own  purposes  ;  but  their 

1   [The  Sabbatarian  doctrine  absurdities    ought    not    to    be 

was  carried  to  extremes,  and  charged     upon     Dr.     Bound's 

abused  by  the  puritans  to  serve  book.] 


218  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1595- but  for  the  present  make  the  Sunday  set  in  a  cloud, 

^S  Eliz.  .  [,  .  1     •    1  A       <>  1 

to  arise  soon  arter  ni  more  brightness.     As  lor  the 

archbishop,  his  known  opposition  to  the  proceedings 
of  the  brethren  rendered  his  actions  more  odious, 
as  if  out  of  envy  he  had  caused  such  a  pearl  to 
be  concealed.  As  for  judge  Popham,  though  some 
conceived  it  most  proper  for  his  place  to  punish 
felonious  doctrines,  (which  robbed  the  queen's  sub- 
jects of  their  lawful  liberty,)  and  to  behold  them 
branded  with  a  mark  of  infamy,  yet  others  accounted 
him  no  competent  judge  in  this  controversy;  and 
though  he  had  a  dead  hand  against  offenders,  yet 
these  Sabbatarian  doctrines,  though  condemned  by 
him,  took  the  privilege  to  jiardon  themselves,  and 
were  published  more  generally  than  before.  The 
price  of  the  doctor's  book  began  to  be  doubled,  as 
commonly  books  are  then  most  called  on,  when 
called  in,  and  many  who  hear  not  of  them  when 
printed  inquire  after  them  when  prohibited  ;  and 
though  the  book's  wings  were  clipped  from  flying 
abroad  in  print,  it  ran  the  faster  from  friend  to 
friend  in  transcribed  copies ;  and  the  Lord's  day, 
in  most  places,  was  most  strictly  observed.  The 
more  liberty  people  were  offered,  the  less  they  used 
it,  refusing  to  take  the  freedom  authority  tendered 
them  ;  for  the  vulgar  sort  have  the  actions  of  their 
superiors  in  constant  jealousy,  suspecting  each  gate 
of  their  opening  to  be  a  trap,  every  hole  of  their 
digging  to  be  a  mine,  wherein  some  secret  train  is 
covertly  conveyed,  to  the  bloAving  up  of  the  subject's 
liberty,  which  made  them  almost  afraid  of  the  recre- 
ations of  the  Lord's  day  allowed  them ;  and  seeing 
it  is  the  greatest  pleasure  to  the  mind  of  man  to  do 
what  ho  pleaseth,  it  was  sport  for  them  to  refrain 


<^ENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  219 

from  sports,  whilst  the  forbearance  was  in  them- a. d.  1595. 
sehes  voluntary,  arbitrar}%  and  elective — not  im-  ''  '  " 
posed  upon  them.  Yea,  six  years  after.  Bound's 
book  came  forth  with  enlargements,  publicly  sold ; 
and  scarce  any  comment,  catechism,  or  controversy 
was  set  forth  by  the  stricter  divines,  wherein  this 
doctrine  (the  diamond  in  this  ring)  was  not  largely 
pressed  and  proved  ;  so  that,  as  one  saith,  "  the 
"  sabbath  itself  had  no  rest ;"  for  now  all  stranofe 
and  unknown  writers,  without  further  examination, 
passed  for  friends  and  favourites  of  the  prcsbyterian 
party,  who  could  give  the  word,  and  had  any  thing 
in  their  treatise  tending  to  the  strict  observation  of 
the  Lord's  day.  But  more  hereof  (God  willing)  in 
the  fifteenth  year  of  king  James. 

23.  Now  also  began  some  opinions  about  predes-  The  Arti- 
tination,  free-will,  perseverance,  &c.,  much  to  trouble  Lambeth, 
both  the  schools  and  pulpit ;  whereupon  archbishop 
Whitgift,  out  of  his  Christian  care  to  propagate  the 
truth  and  suppress  the  opposite  errors,  caused  a 
solemn  meeting  of  many  grave  and  learned  divines 
at  Lambeth,  where,  besides  the  archbishop,  Richard 
Bancroft  ™,  bishop  of  London,  Richard  Vaughan, 
bishop  elect  of  Bangor,  Humphrey  Tindal,  dean  of 
Ely,  Dr.  Whittaker,  queen's  professor  in  Cambridge, 
and  others,  were  assembled.  These,  after  a  serious 
debate  and  mature  deliberation,  resolved  at  last  on 
the  now  following  Articles  "  : 


'o 


in  [Richarr!  Fletcher,  says  Historicnm,  p.  165.  History  of 
Heylyn  more  correctly  ;  for  the  Quiuquarticular  Contro- 
Bancroft  was  not  made  bishop  versy,  in  his  collection  of 
of  London  till  1597.  See  some  tracts;  and  in  Keble's  Intro- 
further  remarks  on  this  subject  duction  to  Hooker.] 
in  Heylyn's  History  of  the  "  [Assheton's  Life  of  Whit- 
Presbyterians,  p.  340.  Examen  taker,  p.  43.] 


220 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   IX. 


A. D.  1595.      ^'  Deus   ab  aeterno  pra^- 
^^  ^^"'    destinavit  quosdam  ad  vitam: 
quosdam  reprobavit  ad  mor- 
tem. 

2.  Causa  movens  aut  effi- 
ciens  praedestinationis  ad  vi- 
tam non  est  pra^visio  fidci, 
aut  perseverantia?,  aut  bono- 
rum  operum,  aut  ullius  rei 
quEe  insit  in  personis  pr^edes- 
tinatis,  sed  sola  voluntas  be- 
neplaciti  Dei. 

3.  Prsedestinatorum  prse- 
finitus  et  certus  est  Humerus, 
qui  nee  augeri  nee  minui 
potest. 

4.  Qui  non  sunt  prsedesti- 
nati  ad  salutem,  necessario 
propter  peccata  sua  damna- 
buntur. 

5.  Vera,  viva  et  justificans 
fides,  et  Spiritus  Dei  justifi- 
cantis,  non  extinguitur,  non 
excidit,  non  evanescit  in  elec- 
tis**,  aut  finaliter,  aut  totali- 
ter. 

6.  Homo  vere  fidelis,  id 
est,  fide  justificantepraeditus, 
certus  est  plerophoria  fidei 
de  remissione  peccatorum 
suorum,  et  salute  sempiterna 
sua  per  Christum. 


1.  God  from  eternity  hath 
predestinated  certain  men 
unto  life ;  certain  men  he 
hatli  reprobated. 

2.  The  moving  or  efficient 
cause  of  predestination  unto 
life,  is  not  the  foresight  of 
faith,  or  of  perseverance,  or 
of  good  works,  or  of  any 
thing  that  is  in  the  person 
predestinated,  but  only  the 
good-will  and  pleasure  of 
God. 

3.  There  is  predetermined 
a  certain  number  of  the  pre- 
destinate, which  can  neither 
be  auffmented  or  diminished. 

4.  Those  who  are  not  pre- 
destinated to  salvation  shall 
be  necessarily  damned  for 
their  sins. 

5.  A  true,  living,  and  jus- 
tifying faith,  and  the  Spirit 
of  God  justifying,  is  not  ex- 
tinguished, falleth  not  away ; 
it  vanisheth  not  away  in  the 
elect,  either  finally  or  to- 
tally. 

6.  A  man  truly  faithful, 
that  is,  such  an  one  who 
is  endued  with  a  justifying 
faith,  is  certain,  with  the  full 
assurance  of  faith,  of  the  re- 
mission of  his  sins,  and  of 
his  everlasting  salvation  by 
Christ. 


o  [Als.  "  in  lis  qui  semel  ejus  participes  fucriint."~\ 


CENT.  XVI. 


oj"  Dr'itmn. 


221 


7.  Gratia  salutaris  P,  non 
tribuitLir,  non  communicatur, 
non  conccditur  universis  ho- 
minibus,  qua  servari  possint, 
si  velint. 

8.  Nemo  potest  venire  ad 
Christum,  nisi  datum  ei  fuc- 
rit,  et  nisi  Pater  eum  traxc- 
rit,  et  omnes  homines  non 
trahuntur  a  Patre  ut  veniant 
ad  Filium. 

9-  Non  est  positum  in  ar- 
bitrio  aut  potestate  unius- 
cuj usque  hominis  servari. 


7.  Saving    grace    is    not  A.  D.  1595. 
given,  is  not  granted,  is  not    ^' 
communicated  to  all  men,  by 

which  they  may  be  saved  if 
they  will. 

8.  No  man  can  come  unto 
Christ  unless  it  shall  be  ffiven 
unto  him,  and  unless  the 
Father  shall  draw  him  ;  and 
all  men  are  not  drawn  by  the 
Father,  that  they  may  come 
to  the  Son. 

9.  It  is  not  in  the  will  or 
power  of  every  one  to  be 
saved  q. 


P  [AIs.  "•  sufficiens  ad  sahi- 
"  /e/«."] 

*!  [A  history  of  these  Arti- 
cles, with  the  judgment  of 
bishop  Overall  and  bishop  An- 
drews thereon,  was  published 
from  an  early  IMS.,  (which,  as  I 
suspect,  was  written  by  bishop 
Cosins,)  and  inserted  in  an  Ap- 
pendix to  an  edition  of  the 
XXXIX.  Articles  by  Dr.  Ellis ; 
reprinted  by  Ran.  Ford  in 
1720.  According  to  this  paper. 
Dr.  Baro  was  first  startled  by 
the  paradoxes  which  Whittaker 
held  ;  the  former  asserting  that 
justifiijiiig  faith  and  grace  might 
sometimes  he  lost,  which  Whit- 
taker denied  ;  and  with  regard 
to  the  question  of  the  assurance 
of  salvation  in  the  regenerate, 
Whittaker  holding  an  absolute 
certainty  of  belief,  Baro  an 
assurance  of  hope  only.  The 
same  writer  also  states  that 
these  Articles  were  first  drawn 
up  by  Whittaker,  in  a  more 
stringent  form,  but  afterwards 


modified  at  the  conference  ; 
that  they  were  passed,  chieflv 
in  the  absence  of  their  most 
strenuous  opposers,  and  with 
the  reluctant  concurrence  of 
the  archbishop,  who,  vexed 
with  the  ceaseless  disquiet  of 
the  church,  was  greatly  desir- 
ous of  putting  an  end  to  the 
strife  which  seemed  to  threaten 
it  with  a  new  convulsion. 

When  the  queen  heard  of 
the  matter,  of  which  she  was 
informed  by  Burleigh,  the  chan- 
cellor of  the  university,  she 
immediately  sent  for  the  arch- 
bishop, and  with  much  of  her 
characteristic  and  laconic  stvle 
addressed  him  in  these  words  : 
"  I  hear,  my  lord  archbishop," 
she  said,  "that  you  are  collect- 
"  ing  a  treasure,  and  intend  to 
"  make  me  rich."  The  arch- 
bishop, not  understanding  the 
jest,  replied,  "That  indeed  he 
"  was  not  very  rich,  and  pos- 
"  sessed  no  great  property,  but 
"  that  such  as  he  had  was  at 


The  CInirch  History  book  ix. 

A. D.I 595.      Matthew  Ilutton,  tlie  right  reverend  archbishop 
— ; 1-of  York,  did  also  fully  and  freely  in  his  judgment 

concur   with   these   divines,   as  may  ai)pear   by  his 

letter,  here  inserted : 

"  Accepi  jam  pridem  literas  tuas  (reverendissime 
"  jjraesul)  veteris  illius  benevolentiae,  et  amoris  erga 
"  me  tui  plenas,  in  quibus  efflagitas  opinionem  meam 
"  de  Articulis  quibusdam  nuper  Cantabrigiffi  agitatis, 
"  non  sine  aliqua  piorum  offensione,  qui  graviter, 
"  molesteque  ferunt  matrem  academiam,  jam  multi- 
"  tudine  liberorum  et  quidem  doctissimorum  floren- 
"  tern,  ea  dissentione  filiorum  nonnihil  contristatam 
"  esse.  Sed  fieri  non  potest,  quin  veniant  offendi- 
"  cula,  neque  desinet  inimicus  homo  inter  triticum 
"  zizania  seminare,  donee  eum  Dominus  sub  pedi- 
"  bus  contriverit.  Legi  Articulos  et  relegi,  et  dum 
"  pararem  aliquid  de  singulis  dicere,  visum  est  mihi 
"  multo  potius  de  ipsa  electione  et  reprobatione, 
"  (unde  ilia  dissentio  orta  esse  videtur,)  meam  sen- 
"  tentiam  et  opinionem  panels  verbis  explicare,  quam 
"  singulis  sigillatim  respondens  fratrum  forsitan  quo- 
"  rundam  animas,  (quos  in  veritate  diligo,)  exacer- 
"  bare.    Meminisse  potes  (ornatissime  antistes)  cum 


"  her  majesty's  service."    "Ah!  framers  of  the  Articles  had  no 

"  my  lord,"  she  replied,  "  you  intention    to    give    them    any 

"imagine   that    you    are   very  public  authority;  that  they  had 

"  obliging  in  making  this  offer;  been  drawn  up  merely  as  arti- 

"  but  what  you  profess  to  re-  cles  of  peace.     But  some  cour- 

"  sign,  as  a  matter  of  civility,  tiers  standing  by  accused   the 

"  I  claim  as  a  matter  of  right  archbishop    with    the    fact    of 

"  by  the  laws  of  the  laud.    ]\Iy  having  sent  them  to  Cambridge 

"  lord  archbishop,  you  have  in-  with  an  official  character.     In 

"  curred   the   guilt  of  prce}nii-  the  end  the  archbishop,  seeing 

"  ni?-e."     The  archbishop,  not  how  the  matter  was  likely  to 

a  little  startled,  then  began  to  end,  resolved  to  suppress  them  ; 

explain  to  the  queen  that  the  and  this  was  accordingly  done.] 


CEKT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  223 

'  Cantabriffige  una  essemiis  et  sacras  literas  in  scholis  a.d.  1595. 

'  publicis  interpretaremur,  eaudem   regulam    seculi 

'  earn  semper  fiiisse  inter  nos  consensionem  in  om- 
'  nibus  religionis  causis,  et  ne  minima  quidem  vel 
'  dissentionis,  vel  simultatis  suspicio  unquam  appa- 
'  reret.  Igitur  hoc  tempore  si  judicio  dominationis 
'  tuse,  id  quod  pingui  Minerva  scrijisi  probatum  ire 
'  intellexero,  multo  mihi  minus  displacebo.  Deus 
'  te  diutissime  servet  incolumem,  ut  tum  Regina} 
'  serenissimai  et  toti  regno  fidelissimus  consiliarius, 
'  tum  etiam  ecclesise  huic  nostrse  Anglicanaj  pastor 
'  utilissimus  multos  adhuc  annos  esse  possis.  Vale, 
'  e  musseo  meo  apud  Bishop-Thorp.  Calend.  Octob. 
'  Anno  Dom.  1595." 

24.  But  when  these  Articles  came  abroad  into  The  high 

1  11  ii'  1  /•  l^      '    opinions 

the  world,  men  s  brams  and  tongues  (as  smce  then-  some  had 
pens)  were  employed  about  the  authority  of  the^i-tJies 
same,  and  the  obedience  due  imto  them  ;  much 
puzzled  to  find  the  new  place  where  rightly  to  rank 
them  in  reputation  ;  how  much  above  the  results 
and  resolutions  of  private  divines,  and  how  much 
beneath  the  authority  of  a  provincial  synod ;  some 
there  that  almost  equalled  their  authenticalness  with 
the  acts  of  a  synod,  requiring  the  like  conformity  of 
men's  judgments  unto  them.  They  endeavoured  to 
prove  that  those  divines  met  not  alone  in  their 
private  capacities,  but  also  representing  others, 
alleging  this  passage  in  a  public  letter  from  Cam- 
bridge ^  subscribed  with  the  hands  of  the  heads  of 
that  university :  "  We  sent  up  to  London  by  com- 


^  See  it  cited  at  large  in  our  History  of"  Cambridge,  anno 
1595- 


224  The  Church  Hxsloi'y  book  ix. 

A.  D.  IS9S.  "  mon  consent,  in  November  last,  Dr.  Tyndall  and 

— ^"  Dr.  Whittaker,  (men    especially   chosen    for   that 

"  purpose,)  for  conference  with  my  lord  of  Canter- 
"  bury  and  other  princijial  divines  there,"  &c. 
Others  25.  Others  maintain  the  contrary ;  for,  ^rant  each 

%'aliie  them  .  .  J  •>  ■>  b 

at  a  lower  man  in  this  conference  at  Lambeth  one  of  a  thou- 
sand for  learning  and  religion,  yet  was  he  but  one 
in  power  and  place,  and  had  no  proxy  or  deputation 
(the  two  Cambridge  doctors  excepted)  to  appear  in 
the  behalf  of  others  ;  and  therefore  their  determina- 
tions, though  of  great  use  to  direct,  could  be  but 
of  little  authority  to  conclude  and  command  the 
consent  of  others. 
Some  flatly  26.  But  a  third  sort,  offended  with  the  matter  of 
both  the  the  Articles,  thought  that  the  two  archbishops  and 
and  authors  ^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  meeting  deserved  censure  for  holding 
of  them.  ^^  unlawful  conventiclc ;  for  they  had  not  express 
command  from  the  queen  to  meet,  debate,  and 
decide  such  controversies.  Those  of  the  opposite 
l^arty  were  not  solemnly  summoned  and  heard ;  so 
that  it  might  seem  rather  a  design  to  crush  them, 
than  clear  the  truth.  The  meeting  was  warranted 
with  no  legal  authority — rather  a  private  action  of 
doctor  John  AVhitgift,  doctor  JNIatthew  Hutton,  &c., 
than  the  public  act  of  the  archbishops  of  Canterbury 
and  York  ^.  One  goeth  further,  to  affirm  that  those 
Articles  of  Lambeth  were  afterwards  forbidden  by 
public  authority ;  but  when,  where,  and  by  whom, 
he  is  not  pleased  to  impart  unto  us  *.     And  strange 


s  Mr.  Blontague,  in  his  Ap-  offended    at     this    innovation 

peal,  pp.  55,  7  I,  72.  on    her    prerogative,   that    she 

t  [^Perhaps    Dr.   Heylyn    is  threatened  to   have    these   di- 

here    meant,   who    states    that  vines  attainted  in  a  prcBinutiire ; 

the  queen  was  so  exceedingly  but    her    anger  was   mitigated 


CENT.   XVI. 


of  Britain, 


225 


it  is  that  a  public  proliibition  should  be  whispered  a.  d.  1595. 

so  softly,  that  this  author  alone  should  hear  it,  and  ~ — '— 

none  other,  to  my  knowledge,  take  notice  thereof. 

27.  As    for    foreign    divines,   just    as   they   were  How  va- 
riously 


by  the  interference  of  some 
friends  of  the  archbishop. 
Whitgift  defended  his  conduct 
upon  this  ground  :  "  that  he 
"  and  his  associates  had  not 
"  made  any  canons,  articles,  or 
*'  decrees,  with  an  intent  that 
■'  they  shoukl  serve  hereafter 
*'  for  a  standing  rule  to  direct 
*'  the  church,  but  only  had  re- 
*'  solved  on  some  propositions 
"*  to  be  sent  to  Cambridge  for 
'*  quieting  some  nnhappv  dif- 
"  ferences  in  that  university." 
"  With  which  answer  her  ma- 
"  jesty,  being  somewhat  paci- 
"  fied,  commanded  notwith- 
"  standing  that  he  should 
■"  speedily  recall  and  suppress 
"  those  articles  ;  which  was 
"  performed  with  such  care 
"  and  diligence,  that  a  copy  of 
"  them  was  not  to  be  found 
"  for  a  long  time  after."  Hey- 
lyn's  Hist,  of  the  Presbyterians, 
p.  341 .  This  account  of  these 
Articles  is  supported  by  ori- 
ginal documents.  See  note,  p. 
223.  In  his  tertamen  Episto- 
lare,  p.  178,  Heylvn  also  fur- 
ther observes,  that  "the  bishop, 
"  (Montague,)  living  in  Cam- 
"  bridge  at  that  time,  might 
"  hear  it  amongst  many  others, 
"  though  none  but  he  were 
"  pleased  to  give  notice  of  it 
"  when  it  came  in  question  ; 
"  and,  secondly,  the  noise 
"  thereof  did  spread  so  far, 
"  that  it  was  heard  into  the 
"  Low  Countries ;  the  making 
*'  of  these  Articles,  the  queen's 

FULLER,  VOL.  V. 


"  displeasure  when  she  heard 
"  it,  her  strict  command  to 
"  have  them  speedily  sup- 
"  pressed,  and  the  actual  sup- 
"  pression  of  them,  being  all 
"  laid  down  distinctly  in  a 
"  book  published  by  the  Re- 
"  monstrants  in  Holland,  en- 
"  titled  Necessaria  Responsio, 
"  and  printed  at  Leyden,  1618, 
"  almost  seven  years  before 
"  the  coming  out  of  Moun- 
"  tague's  book."  Montague 
seems  to  speak  from  personal 
knowledge,  see  his  Appeal,  &c., 
p.  71.  The  bishops,  also,  who 
were  appointed  in  the  com- 
mencement of  the  reign  of 
Charles  I.  to  examine  Monta- 
gue's book,  and  to  report  whe- 
ther it  contained  doctrines  of 
dangerous  tendency,  in  their 
letter  to  the  duke  upon  that 
occasion  state,  upon  their  cer- 
tain knowledge,  that  the  queen 
caused  the  Lambeth  Articles 
to  be  suppressed  ;  "  and  so  thev 
"  have  continued  ever  since," 
they  affirm,  "till  of  late  some 
"  of  them  have  received  coun- 
"  tenance  at  the  synod  of  Dort. 
"  And  our  hope  is  that  the 
"  church  of  England  will  be 
"  well  advised,  and  more  than 
"  once  over,  before  she  admit 
"  a  foreign  synod,  especially  of 
"  such  a  church  as  condemneth 
"  her  discipline  and  manner  of 
"  government,  to  si>y  no  more." 
Cabala,  p.  105.  See  also  Play- 
fere's  Appeal,  p.  10,  ed.  1719] 


226  The  Cliurvh  HLstoiy  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1595.  biassed  in  judgment,  so  on  that  side  ran  their  affec- 
— - — '-  tions,  in  raising  or  decrying  the  esteem  of  these 
divines  Articles  :  some  printed  ",  set  forth,  and  cited  them  ^y 
of^them!'  ^^  ^li^  sense  of  the  church  of  England ;  others  as 
fast  slighted  them,  as  the  narrow  positions  of  a  few 
private  and  partial  persons.  As  for  Corvinus,  as  we 
know  not  whence  he  had  his  intelligence,  so  we 
find  no  just  ground  for  what  he  reporteth,  that 
archbishop  Whitgift  for  his  pains  incurred  the 
queen's  displeasure  and  a  pra'jmmire  y .  We  presume 
this  foreigner  better  acquainted  with  the  imperial 
law  and  local  customs  of  Holland,  than  with  our 
municipal  statutes  and  the  nature  of  a  prcBnmnirc. 
Indeed  there  goes  a  tradition,  that  the  queen  should 
in  merriment  say  jestingly  to  the  archbishop,  "  My 
"  lord,  I  now  shall  want  no  money,  for  I  am  informed 
"  all  your  goods  are  forfeited  unto  me  by  your  call- 
*'  ins:  a  council  without  mv  consent."  But  how 
much  of  truth  herein  God  knows.  And  be  it  re- 
ferred to  our  learned  in  the  law,  whether,  without 
danger  of  such  a  censure,  the  two  archbishops,  by 
virtue  of  their  place,  had  not  any  implicit  leave 
from  the  queen  to  assemble  divines  for  the  clearing, 
declaring,  and  asserting  of  difficult  truths,  provided 
they  innovate  or  alter  nothing  in  matters  of  reli- 
gion ^. 


"  Thysius  twice  printed  them  "  Articles,  they  were  not  only 

at  Hardrovick,  anno  161 3.  "  subscribed  unto  by  Dr.  Over- 

^  Bogerman  in  his  107  and  "  all,  but  (as  appears  by  a  let- 

108  notes  on  the  second  part  "  ter  written  from  the  bishop 

of  Grotius.  "  of  Canterbury  to  Dr.  Goad) 

y  In  his  answer  to  the  notes  "  were     shewn    by    the     said 

of  Bogerman,  second  part,  pag.  "  bishop  unto  Dr.  Baro,  who, 

566,   and   so  forward   to   pag.  "  although  he  seemed  to  make 

570.  "  some   frivolous   and  childish 

2    ["  As    for    the    Lambeth  "  objections  against  one  or  two 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  927 

28.  And  now  I  perceive  I  must  tread  tenderly,  a.  d.  1595. 
because  I  go  not,  as  before,  on   men's  graves,  but 

-  11  •    1         r*  T  ^  These  Arti- 

am  ready  to  touch  the  quick  or  some  yet  alive,  i  des  excei- 
know  how  dangerous  it  is  to  follow  truth  too  nearjfggsp"of 
to  the  heels;  yet  better  it  is  that  the  teeth  of  an *,^« p?"''''^'! 
historian  be  struck  out  of  his  head  for  writing  the  i^ngiand. 
truth,  than  that  they  remain  still  and  rot  in  his 
jaws,  by  feeding  too  much  on  the  sweetmeats  of 
flattery.  All  that  I  will  say  of  the  credit  of  these 
Articles  is  this :  that  as  medals  of  gold  and  silver, 
though  they  will  not  i)ass  in  payment  for  current 
coin,  because  not  stamped  with  the  king's  inscrip- 
tion, yet  they  will  go  with  goldsmiths  for  as  much 
as  they  are  in  weight ;  so,  though  these  Articles 
want  authentic  reputation  to  pass  for  provincial  acts, 
as  lacking  sufficient  authority,  yet  will  they  be  rea- 
dily received  of  orthodox  Christians  for  as  far  as 
their  own  purity  bears  conformity  to  God's  word. 
And  though  those  learned  divines  be  not  acknow- 
ledged as  competent  judges  to  pass  definitive  sen- 
tence in  those  points,  yet  they  will  be  taken  as 
witnesses  beyond  exception,  whose  testimony  is  an 
infallible  evidence  what  was  the  general  and  received 
doctrine  of  England  in  that  age  about  the  forenamed 
controversies. 

29.  This  year  ended  the  life,  first,  of  doctor  Wil-  '>ishop 

Wickham, 

"  of  them  only,  yet  he  did  con-  "  prised  in  his  assertions  which 

•'  fess  that  they  were  all  true  ;  "  you   enclose  in  your   letter, 

"and    added    thereunto    that  "he    might   well   avouch   that 

"  they  did  not  impugn  any  of  "  they  were  not  contradictory 

■"  his    assertions.      These    are  "  to    the    Lambeth    Articles." 

"  the    express    words    in     the  March  6,  1628.     Dr.  Davenant 

''archbishop's   letter;    and   to  to  Dr.  Ward.  (MS.)    See  Baro's 

*'  say   the   truth,    if    Dr.  Baro  own  statements  in  his  letter  to 

"  his    sermon     contained     no  Nic.  Hemmings,  in  Epist.  He- 

"  worse   matter   than    is   com-  monstrant.  p.  29,  ed.  1 684. J 

q2 


228^^  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1595.  liam  Wickham,  bred  in  King's  College  in  Cambridge, 

— "—  first  bishop  of  Lincoln,  after  of  Winchester,  whose 

taker,  Da-  namesake,  William  Wickham,  in  the  reign  of  king 
worth'a^fd  Edward  the  Third,  sat  in  the  same  see  more  years 
^^^J"*  „   than  this  did  weeks.     Indeed  we  know  little  of  his 

oouthwell 

end  their  life,  but  SO  much  of  liis  death  as  we  must  not  men- 
tion  it  without  some  pity  to  him,  whilst  111  pam,  and 
praise  to  God  for  our  own  health ;  such  was  his 
torture  with  the  stone  before  his  death,  that  for 
fourteen  days  together  he  made  not  water  ^.  Se- 
condly, worthy  doctor  William  Whittaker,  whose 
larger  character  we  reserve  (God  willing)  for  our 
History  of  Cambridge^.  And  amongst  the  Roman- 
ists Daniel  Halseworth,  who,  as  Pitzeus  '^  describes 
him,  (papists  give  no  scant  measure  in  praising  those 
of  their  own  party,)  was  well  skilled  in  Latin,  Greek, 
and  Hebrew — an  elegant  poet,  eloquent  orator,  acute 
philosoj)her,  expert  mathematician,  deep-studied  law- 
yer, and  excellent  divine.  Flying  from  England,  he 
lived  successively  in  Savoy,  Rome,  and  Milan,  hav- 
ing too  many  professions  to  gather  wealth ;  and  with 
all  his  arts  and  parts,  both  lived  in  poverty  and  died 
in  obscurity.  More  eminent,  but  more  infamous, 
was  the  death  of  Robert  Southwell  *^,  a  Jesuit,  born 
in  Suffolk  %  bred  beyond  the  seas,  where  he  wrote 
abundance  of  books  ;  who,  returning  into  England, 
was  executed  JVIarch  the  third  for  a  traitor,  at  Lon- 
don, and  honoured  for  a  martyr  amongst  men  of  his 
own  religion. 

^  Godwin,  De  Prsesul.  Angl.  him  in  governing  his  diocese.] 
p.  240.  ^    [See     a    very    interesting 

^  [See  Hist,  of  Cambridge,  account  of  his  life   and  death 

p.  151.]  in   More's  Hist.  Soc.  Jesu,  p. 

c  In  Vita,  p.  794.     [He  was  172;     and    in    Tanner's    Soc. 

a  great  friend  of  the  excellent  Jesu,  &c.,  p.  30.] 
Borromeo,  who   made    use    of         e  Idem  ibidem. 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  229 

30.  The  secular  priests  continued  their  complaints,  a.  d.i.i;96. 

as  against  Jesuits  in  general,  so  particularly  against   " 

Robert    Parsons  ^      This    Parsons,   about    eighteen  phunt  of 

171       1        1         1  11'         ij^'-         the  seculars 

years  since,  was  ni  r.ngland,  where,  by  his  statizingj^,.ji„st  the 
and    danoferous    activity,    he    had    so    incensed    the  ■^*^.'""'*' ti"*^ 

o  J '  principally 

queen's  council,  that  the  secular  priests  made  him-'s^'"^'^ 

^  _  ^  '  Parsons. 

a  main  occasion  why  such  sharp  laws  were  so  sud- 
denly made  against  catholics  in  England  ^.  But  no 
sooner  did  danger  begin  to  appear,  but  away  went 
Parsons  beyond  the  seas ;  wherein  some  condemned 
his  cowardliness,  and  others  commended  his  policy, 
seeing  such  a  commander  in  chief  as  he  was  in  the 
Romish  cause  ought  to  repose  his  person  in  safety, 
and  might  be  nevertheless  virtually  present  in  the 
fight,  by  the  issuing  out  of  his  orders  to  meaner 
officers.  Nor  did  Parsons,  like  a  wheeling  cock, 
turn  aside  with  intent  to  return,  Init  ran  quite  out 
of  the  cockpit,  and  then  crowed  in  triumph,  when 
he  was  got  on  his  own  dunghill,  safely  resident  in 
the  city  of  Rome.  Here  he  compiled  and  hence  he 
dispatched  many  letters  and  libels  into  England, 
and,  amongst  the  rest,  that  book  of  the  succession 
to  the  Enghsh,  (entitling  the  Spaniard  thereunto,) 
setting  it  forth  under  the  false  name  of  Doleman  ^, 
an  honest,  harmless  secular  priest,  and  his  professed 
adversary.  And  surely  Parsons  was  a  fit  fellow  to 
derive  the  pedigree  of  the  kings  of  England,  who 
might  first  have  studied  to  deduce  his  own  descent 
from  a  lawful  father,  being  himself  (otherwise  called 
Cowbuck)  ^\filius  populi  etjilius  peccati,^''  as  catholics 

^  [These  dissensions  of  the  g  Declaratio  Motuum,   &c., 

Jesuits  and  secular  priests  com-  ad  Clementem  VIII.  p.  24. 

menced  in  1597,  and  lasted  till  ''    Camden's    Eliz.    in   anno 

1603.]  '594-      [Wood's  Ath.  II.  71.] 

Q  3 


230 


The  Church.  History 


BOOK   IX. 


A.D.  1596. have  observed'.     Many  letters  also  he  sent  over, 

full  of  threats,  and  assuring  his  party  that  the  land 

would  be  invaded  by  foreigners ;  writing  therein  not 
what  he  knew  or  thought  was,  but  what  he  desired 
and  endeavoured  should  be  true.  Some  of  these 
letters,  being  interce])ted,  made  the  queen's  officers 
(as  they  had  just  cause)  more  strict  in  searching,  as 
her  judges  more  severe  in  punishing  the  papists. 
Hereupon  the  seculars  complained  that  such  pro- 
ceedings against  them  (termed  persecution  by  them, 
and  justice  by  our  state)  was  caused  by  the  Jesuits ; 
and  that  Parsons  especially,  though  he  had  kindled 
the  fire,  left  others  to  bear  the  heat  thereof^ ;  yea, 
which  was  more,  he  was  not  himself  contented  to 
sleep  in  a  whole  skin  at  Rome,  but  lashed  others  of 
his  own  religion  ;  and  having  got  his  neck  out  of 
the  collar,  accused  others  for  not  drawing  weight 
enough,  taxing  the  seculars  as  dull  and  remiss  in 


i  Watson's  Quodlibets,  pp. 
109  and  236. 

^  [Thus  Colleton,  in  his 
"  Just  Defence,"  &c.  p.  170, 
addresses  him  :  "  We  assure 
"  ourselves,  father  Parsons, that 
"  your  restless  spirit  and  pen, 
"  your  enterprising  and  busy 
"  actions,  have  turned  hereto- 
"  fore  our  catholic  professants 
"  to  infinite  prejudice;  for  to 
"  no  known  cause  can  we  im- 
"  pute  so  much  the  making  of 
"  the  severe  laws  of  our  coun- 
"  try,  as  to  your  edging  at- 
"  tempts  and  provocations." 
And  in  another  place,  after 
observing  that  the  mischievous 
and  restless  spirit  of  this 
Jesuit  had  given  just  offence 
to    the    queen's    government. 


and  brought  the  whole  body  of 
the  Roman  catholics  into  sus- 
picion, he  observes  :  "  Neither 
"  is  father  Parsons  holden  only 
"  of  our  magistrate  for  a  statist, 
"  or  merchandiser  of  the  crown 
"  and  diadem,  but  his  travels 
"  and  negotiations  this  way  are 
"  become  so  notoriously  known, 
"  that  even  Pasquin  in  Rome 
"  (as  intelligence  is  sent  us) 
"  speaketh  in  this  manner  of 
"  him  :   '  IF    there   be   any 

"  MAN  THAT  WILL  BUY  THE 
"  KINGDOM  OF  ENGLAND,  LET 
"  HIM  REPAIR  TO  A  MERCHANT 
"  IN  A  BLACK  SQUARE  CAP  IN 
"  THE  CITY,  AND  HE  SHALL 
"  HAVE  A  VERY  GOOD  PENNY- 
"  WORTH  THEREOF."  lb.  p. 
241.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  231 

the  cause  of  religion ;  and,  to   speak  plainly,  they  a.  d.  1596. 

differed  as  hot  and  cold  poison — the  Jesuits  more    "^^ !fl_ 

active  and  pragmatical,  the  seculars  more  slow  and 
heavy  ;  but  both  maintaining  treacherous  principles, 
destructive  to  the  common v^^ealth. 

31.  If  we  look  now  on  the   nonconformists,  we  a  general 
shall  find  them  all  still  and  quiet.     After  a  storm,  "^"^^ 
comes  a  calm :  wearied  with   a  former  blustering, 

they  began  now  to  repose  themselves  in  a  sad  silence, 
especially  since  the  execution  of  Udal  and  Penry  had 
so  terrified  them,  that  though  they  might  have  secret 
designs,  we  meet  not  their  open  and  public  motions; 
so  that  this  century  affordeth  little  more  than  the 
mortahties  of  some  eminent  men. 

32.  We  begin  with  Richard  Fletcher  ^,  bishop  of  Lon-  The  death 
don,  bred  in  Bennet  College  in  Cambridge,  one  of  a  Fletcher' 
comely  person  and  goodly  presence,  qualities  not  tOc"ia^veiL°^ 
be  cast  away  in  a  bishop,  though  a  bishop  not  to  be 
chosen  for  them.     He  loved  to  ride  the  great  horse, 

and  had  much  skill  in  managing  thereof ;  condemned 
for  very  proud  (such  his  natural  stately  garb)  by  such 
as  knew  him  not,  and  commended  for  humility  by 
those  acquainted  with  him.  He  lost  the  queen's 
favour  because  of  his  second  unhappy  match,  and 
died  suddenly,  more  of  grief  than  any  other  disease. 
With  him  let  me  couple  another  heart-broken 
bishop,  John  Coldwell  of  Salisbury,  doctor  of  physic, 
(St.  Luke,  we  know,  was  both  an  evangelist  and 
physician,)  who  never  enjoyed  himself  after  he  had 


1  [He  was  uncle  to  the  cele-  Nugae,  II.  41.  According  to 
brated  poets,  Giles  and  Phineas  bishop  Goodman,  he  was  pro- 
Fletcher.  See  some  account  moted  for  his  conduct  at  the 
of  him  in  Wood's  Fasti  I.  107,  execution  of  Mary  queen  of 
and    in     sir    J.    Harrington's  Scots.] 

Q  4 


232 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   IX. 


A.  D.  1596  consented  (though  little  better  than  surprised  there- 
•^^  unto  ™)  to  the  alienation  of  Sherborne  manor  from 

the  bishopric. 
The  death  33.  Here  I  am  at  a  loss  for  the  date  of  the  death 
Humphrey,  of  Laurence  Humphrey,  but  confident  I  hit  the  but, 
though  miss  the  mark,  as  about  this  time  ".  He 
was  a  conscientious  and  moderate  nonconformist, 
(condemned  for  lukewarm  by  such  as  were  scalding 
hot,)  dean  of  Winchester,  and  master  of  Magdalen 
College  in  Oxford,  to  which  he  bequeathed  a  con- 
siderable sum  of  gold,  left  in  a  chest,  not  to  be 
opened  except  some  great  necessity  urged  there- 
unto °.  But  lately,  whilst  Dr.  John  Wilkinson  was 
president  of  the  college,  this  gold  was  shared  be- 
tween him  and  the  fellows  ;  and  though  one  must 
charitably  believe  the  matter  not  so  bad  as  it  is 


™  [By  the  wily  intrigues  of 
a  very  dishonest  man,  sir  Wal- 
ter Raleigh.  See  an  account 
of  this  affair  in  Harrington's 
Nugae  Antiquae,  II.  p.  134.] 

"  [Fuller  has  corrected  this 
error  at  a  later  ])eriod  of  his 
history.  Humphrey  died  in 
1590.  See  Wood's  Athen.  I. 
242.] 

o  [Dr.  Heylyn,  who  was  once 
a  member  of  this  college,  as- 
serts that  Dr.  Humphrey  was 
not  the  author  of  this  benefac- 
tion, which  amounted  to  above 
twelve  hundred  double  pisto- 
lets  ;  "  the  old  doctor  (Wilkin- 
"  son)  having  no  fewer  than 
"  one  hundred  for  his  share  of 
*'  the  spoils,  and  every  fellow 
"  thirty  apiece  for  theirs  : 
"  each  pistolet  exchanged  at 
"  \6s.  6d.,  and  yet  the  ex- 
*'  changer  got  well  by  the  bar- 


"  gain  too."  "  The  money,  as 
"  the  tradition  went  in  that 
"  college,  was  left  there  by  the 
"  founder  to  remedy  and  re- 
"  pair  such  ruins  as  either  the 
"  casualty  of  fire  or  the  ravages 
"  of  a  civil  war  might  bring 
"  upon  it  ;  to  which  the  nature 
"  of  the  coin,  being  all  French 
"  pieces,  (remember  that  the 
"  English  at  that  time  were 
"  masters  of  a  great  part  of 
"  France,)  gives  a  further  tes- 
"  timony."  The  Appeal,  &c., 
1.  III.  p.  73.  Dr.  Wilkinson 
was  one  of  the  presidents  put 
in  by  the  visitors  in  the  time 
of  the  Cromwellites  ;  but  Ful- 
ler says  that  he  had  heard  and 
did  partly  believe  that  the  doc- 
tor did  strenuously  oppose  this 
seizure  of  the  gold,  though  it 
was  never  returned.  See  The 
Appeal,  ib.  ]).  74] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britahi.  233 

reported,  yet  the  most  favourable   relation   thereofA.D  1596. 
gave  a  general  distaste  p.  — 

34.  Sure  I  am  a  great  antiquary,  lately  deceased,  a  ^reat 
(rich  as  well  in  his  state  as  learning,)  at  the  hearing  g""j^",ttJif- 
hereof,  quitted  all  his  intentions  of  benefaction  to ''^^j '*'^""" 
Oxford  or  any  place  else,  on  suspicion  it  would  be 
diverted  to  other  uses  1,  on  the  same  token  that  he 
merrily  said,  "  I  think  the  best  way  for  a  man  to 

"  perpetuate  his  memory  is  to  procure  the  pope  to 
"  canonize  him  for  a  saint,  for  then  he  shall  be  sure 
"  to  be  remembered  in  their  calendar ;  Avhereas 
"  otherwise  I  see  all  protestant  charity  subject  to  the 
"  covetousness  of  posterity  to  devour  it,  and  bury 
"  the  donor  thereof  in  oblivion." 

35.  Mr.  Balthazar  Zanches,  a  Spaniard,  born  in  Thechaiity 
Sherez  in  Estremadura,  founded  an  almshouse  at  protestant. 
Tottenham-high-cross  in  Middlesex,  for  eight  single 
people,  allowing  them  competent  maintenance.  Now, 
seeing  protestant  founders  are  rare,  Spanish  protest- 
ants  rarer,  Spanish  protestant  founders  in  England 
rarest,  I  could  not  pass  this  over  with  silence ;  nor 

must  we  forget  that  he  was  the  first  confectioner  or 
comfit-maker  in  England,  bringing  that  mystery  to 
London  ;  and,  as  I  am  informed,  the  exactness  there- 
of continues  still  in  his  family,  in  which  respect  they 
have  successively  been  the  queen's  and  king's  con- 
fectioners *■. 


P  [It  appears  to  have  been  his  books  to  the  universitj- 
a  very  scandalous  business,  al-  upon  this  account,  according 
though  Hickman  attempted  a  to  our  author  ;  in  which  state- 
very  blundering  defence  of  it.  ment  he  is  supported  by  Hey- 
See  also  Heylyn's  reply  to  his  lyn.  Cert.  Ejnstolare,  p.  133.] 
statement,  in  his  Certamen  r  [Upon  the  parliamentary 
Epistolare,  p.  133.]  proceedings   at   this   time,   see 

q    [Selden    refused    to   give  D'Ewes' Journal,  p.  538.] 


234  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.  D.  1597.      36.  A  parliament  held  at  AVestminster,  wherein 

'—  the  deprivation  of  popish  bishops  in  the  first  of  this 

thepariia-  queen's  reign  was  declared  legal.  Some  will  wonder 
™e"*-  what  need  is  of  this  statute  at  so  many  years  dis- 
tance, but  the  preface  intimates  the  necessity  thereof. 
The  legality,  also,  of  our  bishops  and  their  officers 
was  again  by  act  of  parliament  confirmed.  And 
whereas  there  was  a  pretended  concealment  of  some 
lands  of  the  bishopric  of  Norwich,  the  same  by  act 
of  parliament  were  settled  on  that  see,  and  the 
exchange  of  lands  ratified,  made  in  the  reign  of 
king  Henry  the  Eighth.  The  contemporary  convo- 
cation did  nothing  of  moment. 
The  death       37-  Tliomas   Staplctou  this  year  ended  his  life, 

of  Thomas  ,  i-i  c^        -r\  ■>  i  ^       •         -r 

Stapieton.  and  was  buried  at  bt.  Peter  s  church  m  Louvam  ^ 
It  is  written  in  his  epitaph,  "  Qui  Cicestri^e  inAnglia 
*'  nobili  loco  Jiatiis ;"  where  CicestricB  is  taken  not 
for  the  city,  but  diocese  of  Chichester,  having  other- 
wise good  assurance  that  he  was  born  at  Hemfield 
in  Sussex,  the  same  year  and  month  wherein  sir 
Thomas  More  was  beheaded  ^,  observed  by  the  catho- 
lics as  a  grand  providence.  He  was  a  most  learned 
assertor  of  the  Romish  religion,  wanting  nothing  but 
a  true  cause  to  defend.  On  one  account  I  am  be- 
holding unto  him,  viz.,  for  dissuading  Pitzeus  from 
being  a  soldier  to  be  a  scholar  ",  whose  history  of 
our  English  writers  hath  so  often  been  useful  unto 
me. 
The  death  38.  Richard  Cosin ''j  doctor  of  the  law  and  dean 
Cosin.       of  the  Arches,  this  year  ended  his  life — one  of  the 


s  [See  more  of  him  in  Wood's  *   Pitz.  in  Vita,  p.  796. 

Athen.  I.  291;  and  his  life,  by  "  Idem  ibidem. 

Henry    Holland,     prefixed    to  ^^  [See  hisLife,  by  Wm.  Bur- 

Stapleton's  Works.]  ton,  B.  D.,  printed  in  1598.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  235 

greatest  civilians  which  our  age  or  nation  hath  pro- a.  0.1598. 

duced,  a  most  moderate  man  in  his  own  nature,  but '— 

most  earnest  assertor  of  the  ecclesiastical  discipline, 
as  by  his  printed  works  doth  appear. 

39.  Robert  Turner  his  death  was  now  much  be- The  death 
moaned  by  the  papists  y.    He  was  born  at  Barnstaple  Turner. 
in  Devon,  bred  for  a  while  in  Oxford  ;  whence,  flying 
beyond   the  seas,  he  became  canon  of  Breslau   in 
Silesia,  and  at  the   same  time   privy  counsellor  to 

the  duke  of  Bavaria,  falling  afterward  into  his  dis- 
pleasure, probably  because  more  pragmatical  than 
became  a  foreigner;  however,  Ferdinand  of  Gratz 
(afterwards  emperor)  took  him  from  the  duke  to  be 
his  own  secretary  for  the  Latin  tongue,  wherein  he 
excelled,  as  by  his  printed  orations  doth  appear. 
He  lieth  buried  at  Gratz,  under  a  handsome  monu- 
ment ^. 

40.  Great  was  the   errief  of  protestants   for  the  The  death 

XT       1  m  of  Richard 

decease  of  Richard  Hooker  ^,  Turner  s  countryman,  Hooker. 
as  born  also  in  Devonshire,  and  bred  in  Corpus 
Christi  College  in  Oxford,  living  and  dying  a  single 
man,  of  whom  largely  before.  His  innocency  sur- 
vived to  triumph  over  those  aspersions  which  the 
malice  of  others  (advantaged  by  his  own  dove-like 
simplicity)  had  cast  upon  him.  I  am  informed  sir 
Edwin  Sands  hath  erected  a  monument  over  him,  in 
his  parish  church  in  Kent,  where  he  lieth  interred  ^. 

y  [Pitz,  in  Vita,  p.  798.]  ^  [There    are    some   doubts 

z   [See  an  account  of  him  in  about  the   date   of   his   death. 

Wood's   Athon.    I.   297.      His  It  seems  certain,  however,  that 

opuscula  have  been   published  he  died  in  1600.    See  Walton's 

at  various  times,  both  at  Ingol-  Lives,  p.  247,  ed.  Major,  1825. 

stadt  and  Cologne.      He  was  a  Keble's  ed.  p.  90.] 

disciple  of  Campion,  of  whose  ^  ["  Here  I  must   retract," 

death   he  has  given   some   ac-  says    Fuller    in   his  Worthies, 

count  in  his  works.  Vol.  II.  p.  "  t\vo  j)assages  in  my  Church 

276,  ed.  1625.]  "History;  for  whereas  I  re- 


236  The  Church  History  book  ix. 

A.D.  1599.      41.  I  cannot  omit  what  I  find  in  this  year,  in  Mr. 
— — '—  Camden  his  manuscript  Life  of  Queen  Elizabeth  *^. 
poiit^ract    A   report  was   cast   out  by   our   politicians,  in  the 
disliked.     j^-,j(|gt  of  harvest,  of  the  danger  of  a  present  foreign 
invasion — done  out  of  design,  to  prevent  the  popu- 
larity of  the  earl  of  Essex,  and  to  try  the  people's 
inclinations.     Instantly  all  were  put  into  a  posture 
of  defence  :    mowers,  reapers,  all   harvest-folk,  left 
their  work  to  be  employed  in  musters.     This  after- 
wards  appeared  but   a   court    project,   whereat   the 
country  took  much  distaste ;  so  ill  it  is  to  jest  with 
edged  tools,  especially  with  scythes  and  sickles.    IVIy 
author  addeth,  that  people  aifirmed  that  such  May- 
games  had  been  fitter  in  the  spring,  (when  sports 
were  used  amongst  the  Romans  to  Flora,)  and  not 
in  the  autumn,  when  people  were  seriously  employed 
to  fetch  in  the  fruits  of  the  earth  ;  but,  by  his  leave, 
these  expressions  flow  from  critics,  and  fly  far  above 
the  capacities  of  countrymen. 
The  death       42.    This    ccutury    concluded    the    lives    of    two 
slnder'son  eminent  Roman  catholics :  John  Sanderson,  born  in 
and  John    Lancashire,  bred  in  Trinity  College  in  Cambridge, 
where  he  set  forth  an  excellent  logic,  called  San- 


"  ported  Mr  Hooker  to  die  a  that    his    "  children    are    now 

"  bachelor,   he    had   wife    and  "  beggars." 

"  children,  though  indeed  such  "Secondly,    his    monument 

"  as  were  neither  to  his  com-  "  was  not  erected  by  sir  Edwin 

"  fort  when  living,  nor  credit  "  Sandys,  a  person  as  probable 

"  when  dead.   But  parents  can.  "  as  any  man  alive  for  such  a 

'*  not  stiimi)  their  children  from  "  performance,  but  by  sir  Wil- 

"  their  heads  or  hearts."    This  "  liam   Cooper,  now  living  in 

information  Fuller  professes  to  "  the  castle  of  Hertford  ;  and 

have   received   from    Hooker's  "  let  the  good  knight  have  the 

sister,  lately  living  at  Hogsden  "  due  commendation  thereof." 

(Hoxton)   near   London  ;    and  III.  424.3) 

the  last  statement  corresponds  ^  Which  shortly  will  be  set 

with  what  Ben  J onson  observes  forth  in  a  new  edition.    [Since 

in  Drummond's  Journal,  p.  10,  published  at  various  times.] 


CENT.  XVI.  of  Britain.  2S7 

(lerson's  Logic,  forty  years  aiici enter  than  that  which  a. d.  1600. 

his  worthy  namesake  of  Oxford  (of  a  different  judg-     ^ 

ment  in  religion)  hath  since  printed  on  the  same 
subject  ^.  From  Cambridge  he  fled  to  Cambray  in 
Artois,  where  he  lived  with  good  comfort,  and  died 
with  great  credit  with  those  of  his  own  persuasion. 
The  other,  John  Case,  of  St.  John's  in  Oxford,  doctor 
of  physic,  it  seems  always  a  Romanist  in  his  heart, 
but  never  expressing  the  same  till  his  mortal  sick- 
ness seized  upon  him. 

d  [Pitz.  in  Vita,  pp.  799  and  800.] 


THE 

CHURCH   HISTORY 


OF 


BRITAIN. 

THE  TENTH  BOOK, 

CONTAINING  THE  REIGN  OF  KING  JAMES. 


TO 

THE  HONOURABLE 

ROBERT     LORD      BRUGES 

SOLE  SON  TO  THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE 
THOMAS  EARL  OF  ELGIN. 


AVING,  by  God's  assistance,  drawn 
down  my  History  to  the  death  of 
queen  Elizabeth,  some  dissuade  me 
from  continuing  it  any  further ;  be- 
cause, that  as  St.  Peter  out  of  wariness  {alias  cow- 
ardliness) followed  Christ,  who  was  the  truth,  afar 
off^,  so  they  lay  this  down  for  a  maxim,  that  the 
story  of  modern  times  must  not  be  written  by  any 
alive  ;  —  a  position,  in  my  poor  opinion,  both  dis- 
graceful to  historians  and  prejudicial  to  posterity. 

Disgraceful  to  historians  :  as  if  they  would  make 
themselves  like  unto  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  as 
charactered  by  David,  who  move  in  the  darkness,  till 
the  sun  ariseth,  and  they  get  them  away  '^ ;  loving 


"  [[Afterwards  earl  of  Ailes-  Charles  II.] 

bury.    He  was  one  of  the  lords  ^  Matt.  xxvi.  58. 

sent  to  the  Hague  to  welcome  *'  Psalm  civ.  20,  22. 

FULLER,  VOJ..   V.  U 


242  DEDICATION. 

to  write  of  things  done  at  distance,  where  obscurity 
may  protect  their  mistakes  from  discovery,  but  put- 
ting up  their  pens  as  soon  as  the  day  dawns  of 
modern  times,  and  they  within  the  reach  of  refu- 
tation. 

Prejudicial  to  posterity :  seeing  intentions  in  this 
nature,  long  delayed,  are  at  last  defeated.  ^  The 
young  man,  moved  by  his  mother  to  marry,  returned, 
that  as  yet  it  was  too  soon ;  and,  some  years  after, 
pleaded  that  now  it  was  too  late.  So  some  say, 
truth  is  not  ripe  enough  to  be  written  in  the  age 
we  live  in ;  which  proveth  rotten  too  much  for  the 
next  generation  faithfully  to  report,  when  the  im- 
presses of  memorable  matters  are  almost  worn  out ; 
the  histories  then  written  having  more  of  the 
author's  hand  than  footsteps  of  truth  therein. 

Sure  I  am  the  most  informative  histories  to  pos- 
terity, and  such  as  are  most  highly  prized  by  the 
judicious,  are  such  as  were  written  by  the  eyewit- 
nesses thereof, — as  Thucydides,  the  reporter  of  the 
Peloponnesian  war. 

However,  one  may  observe  such  as  write  the  story 
of  their  own  times,  like  the  two  messengers  which 
carried  tidings  to  David:  of  these,  Ahimaaz  (sent 
the  rather  by  permission  than  injunction)  only  told 
David  what  he  knew  would  please  him,  acquainting 
him  with  his  victory.  But  being  demanded  of  his 
son's  death,  he  made  a  tale  of  a  tumult  '\  (no  better 

<=  Plutarch  in  his  Morals.  ''  2  Sam.  xviii.  29. 


DEDICATION.  243 

than  an  officious  lie  for  himself,)  the  issue  whereof 
was  to  him  unknown. 

Cushi,  the  other  messenger,  had  in  his  carriage 
less  of  cunning  and  more  of  conscience,  informing 
the  king  of  his  son's  death,  but  folding  it  up  in  a 
fair  expression :  The  eyiemies  of  my  lord  the  king^ 
and  all  that  rise  against  thee  to  do  thee  hurt^  be  as 
that  young  man  is  ®. 

Ahimaaz  is  imitated  by  such  historians,  who  leave 
that  unwritten  which  they  suspect  will  be  unwel- 
come. These,  following  the  rule  summa  leoc  saliis 
aidhoris,  when  they  meet  with  any  necessary  but 
dangerous  truth,  pass  it  over  with  a  blank,  flourished 
up  with  some  ingenious  evasion. 

Such  writers  succeed  to  plain  Cushi  in  their  rela- 
tions, who  give  a  true  account  of  actions,  and,  to 
avoid  all  exasperating  terms,  (which  may  make  a 
bad  matter  worse  in  relating  it,)  use  the  most 
lenitive  language  in  expressing  distasteful  matter, 
adventuring  with  their  own  danger  to  procure  the 
information  of  others.  Truly  one  is  concerned  in 
conscience  to  transmit  to  the  next  age  some  short 
intimations  of  these  times,  out  of  fear  that  records 
are  not  so  carefully  kept  in  these  so  many  and 
sudden  changes,  as  they  were  in  former  ages. 

I  know  Machiavel  was  wont  to  say,  "  that  he 
"  who  undertakes  to  write  a  history,  must  be  of  no 

^  2  Sam.  xviii.  32. 
R  2 


244  DEDICATION. 

"  religion."  If  so,  he  himself  was  the  best  qualified 
of  any  in  his  age  to  be  a  good  historian. 

But  I  believe  his  meaning  was  much  better  than 
his  words ;  intending  therein,  that  a  writer  of  his- 
tories must  not  discover  his  inclination  in  religion, 
to  the  prejudice  of  truth  :  Levi-like,  who  said  to  his 
father  and  mother,  /  have  not  seen  them ;  owning  no 
acquaintance  of  any  relations. 

This  I  have  endeavoured  to  my  utmost  in  this 
Book;  knowing,  as  that  oil  is  adjudged  the  best 
that  hath  no  taste  at  all,  so  that  historian  is  pre- 
ferred who  hath  the  least  tang  of  partial  reflections. 

However,  some  candour  of  course  is  due  to  such 
historians  (wherein  the  courtesy  not  so  great  in 
giving  as  the  injury  in  detaining  it)  w^hich  run  the 
chiding  of  these  present  times,  in  hope  that  after- 
ages  may  excuse  them.  And  I  am  confident  that 
these  my  labours  shall  find  the  same  favour,  (which 
may  be  in  mere  men,  should  be  in  all  gentlemen, 
must  be  in  true  Christians,)  the  rather  because  this 
Book  appeareth  patronized  by  a  dedication  to  your 
honour. 

I  have  selected  your  lordship  for  a  patron  to  this 
part  of  my  History,  wherein  the  reign  of  king  James 
is  contained,  under  whose  peaceable  government 
your  grandfather  was  his  privy  counsellor,  and 
master  of  the  rolls,  when  your  family  was  not 
brought,  but  hroucjht  hack  into  England,  where  it 


DEDICATION.  245 

had  flourished  barons  many  years  before.  Plants 
are  much  meliorated  by  transplanting,  especially 
when  after  many  years  they  are  restored  to  their 
native  soil,  as  cordial  unto  them.  And  thus  the 
continuance  and  increase  of  all  happiness  to  yourself 
and  noble  consort,  is  the  unfeigned  prayer  of 

Your  Honour's  most  obliged  Servant, 

THOMAS  FULLER. 


R  3 


THE 


CHURCH    HISTORY 


OP 


BRITAIN. 


BOOK    X. 

HE  difference  betwixt  the  seculars  and^.D.  1601. 

43  Eliz. 

the    Jesuits    still    continued    and    in 

The  secu- 

creased.     Wherefore  bishop  Bancroft,  lars  foment- 
counting  the  seculars  the  better  but  bishop  of 
weaker   side,    afforded    them   counte- ^""jj^^^j^g 
nance  and  maintenance  in  London  House,  accom- •^®*'"*^- 
modating   them   with    necessaries   to   write   against 
their   adversaries  ;    hoping   the    protestants    might 
assault  the  Romish  cause  with  the  greater  advan- 
tage, when  they  found  a  breach  made  to  their  hand 
by  the  others'  own  dissensions  ^.    But  such  who  bore 
no  good-\vill  to  the  bishop,  beholding  the  frequent 
repairing  and  familiar  conversing  of  such  priests  in 


^  [To  this  report  Watson 
alludes  in  one  of  his  letters  ; 
and  it  seems  to  have  been  well 
grounded  :  "They  (the  Jesuits) 
"  reported,"  he  says,  "  that  I 
"  was  set  on  by  the  lord  Cecil 


"  of  Essenden,  and  the  bishop 
"  of  London,  and  I  know  not 
"  whom,  to  betray  all  catholics, 
"  and  bring  them  within  com- 
"  pass  of  treason."  Goodman's 
Mem.  II.  84.] 

R  4 


248  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  i6oi.his  house,  made  a  contrary  construction  of  his  ac- 
—1 — ^tions,   and   reported    him    popishly  affected.      Thus 
those  who  publicly  do  things  in  themselves  liable  to 
offence,  and  privately  reserve  the   reasons   of  their 
actions  in  their  own  bosoms,  may  sufficiently  satisfy 
their  consciences  towards  God,  but  will  hardly  avoid 
the  censures  of  men,  to  which  too  unwarily  they 
expose  themselves.     With  more   general  applause 
was  the   bounty  of  archbishop  AVhitgift  bestowed, 
who  now  finished  his  hospital,  founded  and  endowed 
by  him  at   Croydon  in   Surrey,   for  a  warden   and 
eight  and  twenty  brethren;  as  also  a  free  school, 
with  liberal  maintenance,  for  the  education  of  youth. 
God  (the  best  of  creditors)  no  doubt  long  since  hath 
plentifully    repaid    what    was    lent    to    him    in    his 
members. 
Acts  in  the      2.  The  last  parliament  in  this  queen's  reign  was 
ment  oV*   uow  bcgun  at  Westminster,  and  dissolved  the  month 
Sth^^'    next  following.     Of  such  things  which  at  distance 
may  seem  to  relate  to  church  affairs,  in  this  parlia- 
ment, it  was  enacted,  "  That  overseers  of  the  poor 
"  should  be  nominated  yearly,  in  Easter  week,  un- 
"  der  the  hand  and  seal  of  two  justices  of  peace  ^ ; 
"  and  that   these,  with  the   churchwardens,  should 
"  take  care  for  the  relief  of  the  poor,  binding  out  of 
"  apprentices,  &c.     As  also,  that  the  lord  chancellor 
"  should   award  commissions  under  the  great  seal, 
"  into  any  part  of  the  realm,  as  cause  should  require, 
"  to  the  bishop  of  every  diocese  and  his  chancellor  S 
"  and   any  four   or  more   persons    of  honest  beha- 
"•  viour,  to  inquire  by  oaths  of  twelve  men  into  the 


^  Statute  43  of  queen  Elizabeth,  c.  2. 
p  Ibid.  cap.  4. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  249 

"  misemployment  of  any  lands   or  goods  given   toA.i).  i6or. 

-111.          1                       .         t           ■^^  FAiz. 
"  pious  uses ;  and  by  their  orders  to  appoint  them  — '. 


"  to  be  duly  and  faithfully  paid  or  employed  to  their 
"  true  uses  and  intents."  In  pursuance  of  this 
statute,  much  good  wa.s  and  is  done  to  this  day,  in 
several  parts  of  the  kingdom,  the  law  being  very 
tender,  that  the  true  intentions  of  the  donor  should 
take  effect,  as  by  this  eminent  instance  may  appear. 
By  the  rule  of  the  law,  copyhold  land  cannot  be 
aliened  but  by  surrender ;  but  yet,  if  a  man  devise 
such  land  to  a  charitable  use,  though  it  had  not 
been  surrendered,  this  is  adjudged  good  ^,  and  shall 
be  construed  an  appointment  to  a  charitable  use 
within  this  statute. 

3.  Now,  if  we  look  into  the  convocation  parallel  Acts  of  this 

iiir>ii  '     ^  year's  con- 

to  this  parliament,  therein  we  shall  hud  that  it  began  vocation. 
with  a  Latin  sermon  of  William  Barlow,  doctor  of 
divinity,  and  one  of  her  majesty's  chaplains,  (after- 
wards bishop  of  Rochester,  then  of  Lincoln,)  preach- 
ing on  this  text,  Luke  xix.  13,)  Negotiamini  dum 
venio.  In  this  convocation,  INIatthew  Sutcliffe,  doc- 
tor of  the  law  and  dean  of  Exeter,  was  chosen  pro- 
locutor, but  nothing  save  matters  of  course  passed 
therein.  Nor  find  I  any  eminent  divine  deceased 
this  year. 

4.  Francis   Godwin,  doctor  of  divinity,  sub-dean  Francis 
of  Exeter,  son  of  Thomas  Godwin,  bishop  of  Wells,  madeWshop 
(like  another  Gregory  Nazianzen,  a  bishop,  son  to  a"^^*°^^' 
bishop  %)  was  promoted  to  the  church  of  Llandaff. 

He  was  born  in  the  fourth  year  of  queen  Elizabeth, 
who  was  not  a  little  sensible   of  and  thankful  for 

^   15  Jac.  in  Rivet's  case  in     [prefixed  to  his  Works.    Paris, 
chancery.  1 609.  See  bishop  Taylor's  Cases 

e  In  Vita  Greg.  Nazianzen,     of  Conscience,  p.  67  7.] 


250 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D.  i6oi.God's  favour  unto  her,  in  suffering  her  so  long  to 
J^ — 1^  hold  the  helm  of  the  English  church,  till  one  born 
within  her  reign  was  found  fit  to  be  a  bishop.  He 
was  stored  with  all  polite  learning,  both  judicious 
and  industrious  in  the  study  of  antiquity,  to  whom 
not  only  the  church  of  Llandaff  (whereof  he  well 
deserved)  but  all  England  is  indebted,  as  for  his 
other  learned  writings,  so  especially  for  his  Cata- 
logue of  Bishops.  He  was  translated,  anno  1617,  to 
Hereford,  and  died,  many  years  after,  a  very  old 
man,  in  the  reign  of  king  Charles  ^ 
Watson's        5.  Now  came  forth   a  notable  book  against  the 

Quodlibets    _         .  .  .  i      i         .  i  -i-rr 

against  the  Jesuits,  Written  m  a  scholastic  way,  by  one  Watson, 
a  secular  priest,  consisting  of  ten  Quodlibets,  each 
whereof  is  subdivided  into  as  many  Articles  ^.     It 


f  [His  election  was  confirmed 
on  the  1 4th  of  November,  and 
his  consecration  performed  on 
the  22nd,  in  the  collegiate 
church  of  St.  Peter's,  West- 
minster. Strype's  Whitgift, 
553.  His  cong^  d'elire,  bear- 
ing date  Jan.  7,  1603,  is  print- 
ed in  Rymer's  Feed.  xvi.  488. 
He  lived  till  the  year  1633. 
See  Godwin  de  Praesul.  696, 
613,  and  a  more  diffusive  ac- 
count of  him  in  Wood's  Ath. 
I.  580,  who  states  that  queen 
Elizabeth  advanced  Godwin  to 
the  see  of  Llandaff  on  account 
of  his  "Catalogue  of  Bishops."] 

g  ["A  Decachordon  of  Ten 
"  Quodlibetical  Questions  con- 
"  cerning  Religion  and  State ; 
"  wherein  the  author,  framing 
"  himself  a  quilibet  to  every 
"  quodlibet,  decides  an  hun- 
"  dred  cross  interrogatory 
"  doubts     about    the    general 


"  contentions  betwixt  the  se- 
"  minary  priests  and  Jesuits 
"  at  this  present."  Newly  im- 
printed, 1602.  4to.  The  title- 
page  bears  no  name,  though 
Watson  acknowledges  himself 
to  be  the  author  at  p.  361. 
Unpromising  as  is  the  title  of 
the  book,  it  contains  a  fund  of 
the  most  curious  information 
respecting  the  personal  history, 
secret  intrigues,  and  proceed- 
ings of  the  Jesuits  and  Roman 
catholics  during  the  later  years 
of  queen  Elizabeth.  Watson 
was  likewise  the  author  of 
several  pamphlets  of  the  same 
nature,  to  which  he  generally 
prefixed  his  initials,  W.  W. 
Being  a  very  pragmatical  and 
busy  character,  he  collected" 
much  secret  anecdote  and  scan- 
dalous history,  which  he  emp- 
tied unmercifully  upon  his  im- 
placable enemies  the  Jesuits.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  251 

discovereth  the  Jesuits  in   their  colours,  ferretin^A.  d.  1602. 
them  out  of  all  their  burrows  of  equivocation  and  _11 !!L. 


mental  reservation ;  holding-  Proteus  so  hard  to  it, 
that  in  despite  of  his  changing  into  many  shapes,  he 
is  forced  to  appear  in  his  own  proper  form.  No 
entire  answer,  for  aught  I  can  learn,  was  ever  re- 
turned to  this  book ;  the  Jesuits  (according  to  their 
old  trick)  slighting  what  they  cannot  confute,  and 
counting  that  unworthy  to  be  done  which  they 
found  themselves  unable  to  do.  Indeed,  for  matters 
of  fact  therein,  they  are  so  punctually  reported,  with 
the  several  circumstances  of  time  and  place,  that 
the  guilty  consciences  of  such  as  are  concerned 
therein,  though  snapping  and  snarling  at  pieces  and 
passages  thereof,  for  the  main  may  well  give  it  over 
for  unanswerable. 

6.  Yet  the  whole  book  is  written  with  an  embit-  The  Wack 
tered  style,  so  that  protestant  charity  hath  a  better  Jesuits 
conceit  of  Jesuits  than  to  account  them  altogether ^^th^he 
so  bad.     Take  one  passag-e  of  many :  *'  No,  no,  their  i'^"*:'^^^* 

i-  c>  •I  "         '  secular 

"  course  of  life  doth  shew  what  their  study  is ;  and  priest. 
"  that  howsoever  they  boast  of  their  perfections, 
"  holiness,  meditations,  and  exercises,  yet  their  plat- 
"  form  is  heathenish,  tyrannical,  satanical,  and  able 
"  to  set  Aretine,  Lucian,  Machiavel,  yea,  and  Don 
"  Lucifer,  in  a  sort  to  school,  as  impossible  for  him, 
"  by  all  the  art  he  hath,  to  besot  men  as  they  do  '\" 
This  is  the  same  Watson,  who,  though  boasting  of 
the  obedience  of  the  secular  priests  to  their  sove- 
reigns, and  taxing  the  Jesuits  for  want  thereof,  was 
notwithstanding  himself  afterwards  executed  for  a 
traitor,  in  the  reign  of  king  James.     It  seems  as 

^  Second  Quodlibet,  third  Article,  p.  62. 


252  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1602.  well  seculars  as  Jesuits  are  so  loaden  with  loyalty, 
J^ — ^that  both   need   the  gallows   to   ease   them  of  the 

burden  thereof. 
A  quiet  in       »^    Great  at  this  time  was  the  calm  in  the  English 

the  Englisli  ... 

church^  and  church,  tlic  brethren  not  endeavouring  any  thing  in 

the  cause  .    .  11.  mi  • 

thereof.  oppositiou  to  the  hierarchy.  Ihis  some  impute  not 
to  their  quietness,  but  weariness,  because  so  long 
they  had  in  vain  seeked  to  cast  off  that  yoke  from 
them ;  besides,  they  did  not  so  much  practise  for  the 
present,  as  project  for  the  future,  to  procure  here- 
after an  establishment  of  their  ecclesiastical  govern- 
ment. For  they  beheld  the  queen's  old  age  as  a 
taper  of  virgin  wax  now  in  the  socket,  ready  to  be 
extinguished  ;  which  made  them  address  and  apply 
themselves  with  all  diligence  to  James  king  of  Scot- 
land, the  heir  apparent  to  the  crown,  as  to  the  rising 
sun,  whom  they  hoped  will  be  more  favourable  to 
their  proceedings ; — hopes  not  altogether  groundless, 
whilst  they  considered  the  power  of  the  presbytery 
in  the  church  of  Scotland,  where  bishops,  though 
lately  restored  to  their  place,  were  so  restrained  in 
their  power,  that  small  was  their  command  in  church 
affairs ;  which  made  the  brethren  in  England  thence 
to  promise  great  matters  to  themselves,  but  with 
what  success  shall  be  seen  hereafter.  As  for  Mr. 
Thomas  Cartwright,  the  chieftain  of  that  party  in 
England,  we  find  him  at  this  time  growing  rich  in 
the  town  of  Warwick,  (there  master  of  an  hospital, 
by  the  benevolence  and  bounty  of  his  followers,) 
where  he  jDreached  very  temperately  ^  according  to 
his  promise  made  to  the  archbishop  ^. 

'  Sir  George  Paul's  Life  of     554.     The  same  author  quotes 

Archbishop  Whitgift,  §.79.  a  passage  from  sir  H.  Yelver- 

^    [See    Strype's   Whitgift,     ton's   Epistle    to   the  Reader, 


CENT.  xviT.  of  Britain.  253 

8.  Some  ascribe  this  his  mildness  to  his  old  age  a.  d.  1602, 

1      •  11  1       i_  44  Eliz. 

and   experience,   it   being  commonly  observed   that    

in  controversies  of  this  kind,  men,  when  they  consult  reasons  as- 
with  their  own  grey  hairs,  begin  to  abate  of  their  ^^'fr!c;irt- 
violence.  Others  conceive  that  archbishop  Whit-^'^"£'j.^X^j^^ 
gift  had  conquered  him  with  his  kindness,  having 
formerly  procured  him  both  his  pardon  and  dismis- 
sion out  of  all  his  troubles ;  so  that  his  coals  of 
courtesies,  heaped  on  Mr.  Cartwright's  head,  made 
the  good  metal  (the  ingenuity  in  him)  to  melt  into 
moderation.  For  in  his  letters  written  with  his 
own  hand,  March  24,  anno  1601,  he  confesseth  him- 
self much  obliged  unto  him,  vouchsafing  him  the 
style  of  "  a  right  reverend  father  in  God,  and  his 
"  lord  the  archbishop's  grace  of  Canterbury  ;"  which 
title  of  grace  he  also  often  yieldeth  him  throughout 
his  letters,  acknowledging  his  "  bond  of  most  humble 
"  duty  so  much  the  straiter,  because  his  grace's  favour 
"  proceeded  from  a  frank  disposition,  without  any 
"  desert  of  his  own^."  Others  (and  that  not  impro- 
bably) do  think  that  Mr.  Cartwright  grew  sensible 
with  sorrow  how^  all  sects  and  schisms,  being  oppo- 
site to  bishops,  (Brownists,  Barrowists,  &c.)  did 
shroud  and  shelter  themselves  under  his  protection, 
whom  he  could  neither  reject  with  credit  nor  receive 
with  comfort,  seeing  his  conscience  could  not  close 

prefixed    to    bishop    Morton's  "  caused  in  the  church  by  the 

Episcopacy  Justified,  as  a  proof  "  schism  he  had  been  the  great 

of  the  change  in  Cartwright's  "  fomenter  of;  and  wished  he 

sentiments;  "which  he  spoke  "  was  to  begin  his  life  again, 

"  to    a    sober    person    on    his  "  that  he  might  testify  to  the 

"  deathbed,    and    credibly   re-  "  world  the  dislike  he  had  of 

"  ported     to     that    gentleman  "  his    former    ways.     And    in 

"  from  one  in  Warwick  :  that  "  this  opinion  he  died."] 
"  he  seriously  lamented  the  1  Sir  George  Paul,  ib. 
"  unnecessary  troubles  he  had 


wright. 


254  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1602.  Mith  their  enormous  opinions,  and  his  counsel  could 
— — !!l_  not  reo^ulate  their  extravagant  violences,  which  made 
him  by  degrees  decline  their  party.  Yet,  for  all 
this,  there  want  not  those  who  will  maintain  that  all 
this  while  Mr.  Cartwright  was  not  more  remiss,  but 
more  reserved  in  his  judgment,  being  still  as  sound 
but  not  as  sharp  in  the  cause,  out  of  politic  intents, 
like  a  skilful  pilot  in  a  great  tempest,  yielding  to 
the  violence  of  a  storm,  therewith  to  be  carried 
away,  contrary  to  his  intents  for  the  present,  but 
waiting  when  the  wind  should  soon  turn  about  to 
the  north,  and  blow  him  and  his  a  prosperous  gale, 
according  to  their  desires. 
The  cha-  9^  What  liis  opiuious  were,  may  appear  by  the 
Mr.  Cart-  prcmiscs ;  and  his  life  may  be  presumed  most  pious, 
it  concerning  him  to  be  strict  in  his  conversation, 
who  so  stickled  for  the  reformation  of  all  abuses  in 
the  church ; — an  excellent  scholar,  pure  Latinist, 
(his  travels  advantaging  the  ready  use  thereof,)  accu- 
rate Grecian,  exact  Hebraician,  as  his  comments  on 
the  Proverbs  and  other  works  do  sufficiently  testify. 
But  the  masterpiece  of  all  his  writing's  was  that  his 
Confutation  of  the  Rhemish  Translation  of  the  New 
Testament  into  English,  at  the  importunity  of  many 
ministers  of  London  and  Suffolk  ;  and  sir  Francis 
Walsingham,  the  queen's  secretary,  (Mr.  Cartwright's 
especial  patron,)  gave  him  an  hundred  pounds  to 
buy  him  books  and  encourage  him  in  that  work  ™. 
However,  the  setting  forth  thereof  was  stopped  by 
archbishop  Whitgift ",  probably,  we  may  conceive, 

™   [1111583.]      See  the  Pre-  resumed  his  work  shortly  after, 

face  of  Mr.  Cartwright's  book.  See  the  publisher's  Preface  to 

"  [In  1590.  But  not  so  the  Reader,  from  which  the  in- 
stopped    but    that    Cartwright  formation  in  the  text  is  derived. 


CENT,  xvii,  of  Britain.  255 

because  some  passages  therein  did  glance  at  andA.D.  ir.02. 
gird  the  episcopal  discipline  in  England ;  and  after  — i__l- 
it  had  lain  thirty  years  neglected,  it  Avas  first  set 
forth  anno  I6I8,  and  then  without  either  privilege 
or  licence  0,  except  any  will  say  that  truth  is  a 
licence  for  itself.  In  a  word,  no  English  champion 
in  that  age  did  with  more  valour  or  success  charge 
and  rout  the  Romish  enemy  in  matters  of  doctrine. 
But  when  that  adversary  sometimes  was  not  in  the 
field,  then  his  active  spirit  fell  foul,  in  point  of  dis- 
cipline, with  those  which  otherwise  were  of  his  own 
religion. 

10.  The   same  year  proved  fatal  to   many  other  Bi^shop 
eminent  clergymen ;  and  I  hope,  without  oiFence,  I  i„g^,*'dean 
may  join  them  together,  their  bodies  at  the  same  Perk^jJ^f^^' 
time  meetino-  at  the  ofi'ave,  thoudi  their  minds  before  c^^egory 

O  p  '  o  bayer,  and 

had  parted  in  different  opinions.  Wiiiiam 

Harris,  de- 

i.  Herbert  Westplialing,  bishop  of  Hereford,  (though  ^^orid.  '* 
j>erchance  his  ambiguous  death  is  more  properly  re- 
ferred to  the  last  yearP,)  brought  up  in  Christ  Church 
in  Oxford,  being  the  first  bishop  of  that  foundation ; 
a  man  of  great  piety  of  life,  and  of  such  gravity 
that  he  was  seldom  or  never  seen  to  laugh  ^  ;  leaving 


It  must  not,  however,  be  for-  vilege  or  licence  to  his  Corn- 
gotten  that  Cartwright  pub-  ment  on  Ecclesiastes,  which  he 
fished  a  small  tract  against  dedicated  to  James  I.] 
part  of  the  Rhemists'  work,  P  [He  died  IMarch  ist,  1602. 
entitled,  "  The  Answer  to  the  See  Wood's  Ath.  I.  3  14.  God- 
"  Preface  to  the  Rheuiish  Tes-  win,  who  knew  him  well,  has 
"  tament.  By  T.  Cartwright,  by  a  strange  mistake  referred 
"  at  Edinburgh.  Printed  by  his  death  to  the  year  1585, 
*'  Robert  Waldegrave,  printer  which  indeed  is  the  date  of  his 
"  to  the  king's  majesty.  1602.  translation  to  the  see  of  Here- 
"  Cum  privilegio  regis." —  ford.  De  Praesul.  p.  495.] 
1 2mo.]  <l  Godwin  de  Pricsulibus 
o   [But  neither  is  there  pri-  Angliae,  p.  495, 


256  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1602.  no  great  but  a  well-gotten  estate,  out  of  which  he 
~ — —  bequeathed  twenty  pounds  per  annum  to  Jesus  Col- 
lege in  Oxford. 

ii.  Alexander  Nowell,  doctor  of  divinity,  and  dean 
of  St.  Paul's  in  London,  born  in  Lancashire,  bred  in 
Oxford,  afterwards  fled  into  Germany,  in  the  reign 
of  queen  JNIary.  He  was  the  first  of  English  exiles 
that  returned  in  the  days  of  queen  Elizabeth  '' ;  and 
I  have  read  how  in  a  parliament  he  was  chosen 
burgess  of  a  town  of  Cornwall ;  but  his  election 
pronounced  void,  because  he  was  a  deacon ; — a  man 
of  a  most  angelical  life  and  deep  learning ;  a  great 
defender  of  justification  by  faith  alone,  and  yet  a 
great  practiser  of  good  works, — witness  two  hundred 
pounds  a  year  rent  for  the  maintenance  of  thirteen 
students,  bestowed  on  Brasenose  College,  wherein 
he  had  his  education  ^ ;  a  great  honourer  of  the 
marriage  of  the  clergy,  and  yet  who  lived  and  died 
single  himself ;  an  aged  man,  of  ninety  years  of  age, 
yet  fresh  in  his  youthful  learning  ;  yea,  like  another 
Moses,  his  eyes  w^ere  not  dim,  nor  did  he  ever  make 
use  of  spectacles  *  to  read  the  smallest  print ". 

iii.  William  Perkins,  who  was  born  in  the  first 
and  died  in  the  last  of  queen  Elizabeth ;  so  that  his 
life,  (as  we  have  elsewdiere  observed,  to  which  we 
remit  the  reader  ^,)  running  parallel  with  this  queen's 
reign,  began,  continued,  and  ended  therewith. 

iv.  Gregory  (before  his  entrance  into  religion, 
Robert)  Sayer,   bred  in  Cambridge ;  then,  leaving 

"■  Donald  Lupton  in  his  Life,  roolog.  p.  217^  ed.1620. 
[Protest.  Divines,  p.  252,  ed,  "  [According  to  Camden,  he 

1637.]  *i'^d  in  February,  1603.] 

s    Camden's    Eliz.   in    anno         ^'  In  the  Holy  State,  where 

1602.  see  his  life  at  large,  p.  88. 

*  Hujrh  Holland  in  his  He- 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Brit  (tin.  257 

the  university,  fled  beyond  sea,  where  he  became  aA.D.  if.oi 
Benedictine  monk,  of  the  congreo-ation  of  St.  Justin  ^'^ 
in  Padua.  He  lived  in  several  parts  of  Europe,  as 
at  Rheims,  Rome,  jSIontecasino,  Venice,  where  he 
died,  and  was  buried  the  thirtieth  of  October  ^,  hav- 
ing written  many  volumes  in  great  esteem  with  men 
of  his  profession. 

V.  William  Harris,  as  obscure  among  protestants 
as  eminent  with  the  popish  party  ;  a  master  of  arts 
of  Lincoln  College  in  Oxford,  whence,  leaving  the 
land,  he  fled  beyond  sea,  living  at  Douay  ;  and  after- 
wards he  came  over  into  England  y,  where  it  seems 
he  had  the  hap  to  escape  the  queen's  oflficers,  and  to 
die  in  his  bed.  His  book,  called  "  The  Theatre  of 
"  the  most  true  and  ancient  Church  of  England,"  is 
highly  accounted  of  Roman  catholics. 

11.  About  this  time  the  low  estate  of  the  city  of  Relief  sent 
Geneva  (the  nursery  of  the  reformed  religion)  was  of  Geneva. 
lively  represented  to  the  prelates,  clergy,  and  well- 
disposed  persons  of  England,  being  for  the  present 
in  a  very  doleful  condition.  Long  since  it  had  been 
undone,  but  because  it  had  so  many  enemies  to  undo 
it ;  so  that,  by  God's  providence,  o?it  of  the  devourer 
came  meat  z.  Such  neighbouring  princes  and  states, 
which  were  both  willing  and  al)le  to  swallow  up  this 
Zoar,  did  preserve  it ;  for  rather  than  Savoy  should 
sujjpress  it,  Venice,  Florence,  the  popish  cantons  in 
Switzerland,  and  France  itself,  would  support  it.  But 
for  all  this  politic  geometry,  wherewith  long  it  had 
hung  safe  betwixt  several  competitors,  it  was  lately 
shrewdly  shaken  by  the  puissance  of  the  duke  of 

*  Pitz.  ill  \'it:i,  J).  80 1.      y  Idem,  y.  802.      -  Judges  xiv.  14. 
FULL  hit,  VOL.   V.  S 


258  The  CImrch  History  hook  x. 

A.  D.  1602.  Savoy,  who,  addicted  to  the  Spanish  faction,  had 
—  banished  all  ]H-otestants  out  of  his  dominions.  Arch- 
bishop Whitgift,  whose  hand  was  ever  open  to  any 
pious  design,  led  with  his  liberal  example,  and  the 
rest  cheerfully  followed  ;  so  that  large  sums  of 
money  were  seasonably  made  over  for  the  relief  of 
Geneva  *. 
The  death        12,  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  mirror  of  her  sex  and 

of  queen  ,^         •  ^  c     ,  ^  1      •        •  p 

Elizabeth,  age,  (havmg  above  torty  years,  to  the  admiration  or 
envy  itself,  managed  this  kingdom,  finding  when  she 
began  few  friends  that  durst  help,  and  leaving  no 
foes  that  could  hurt  her,)  exchanged  her  earthly  for 
a  heavenly  crown  ;  who,  as  she  lived  and  died  an 
unspotted  virgin,  so  her  maiden  memory  is  likely,  in 
this  respect,  to  remain  sole  and  single,  seeing  history 
affords  no  prince  to  be  matched  to  her  fame  in  all 
considerable  particulars.  Her  corpse  was  solemnly 
interred  under  a  fair  tomb  in  Westminster,  the  lively 
draught  whereof  is  pictured  in  most  London  and 
many  country  churches,  every  parish  being  proud  of 
the  shadow  of  her  tomb  ;  and  no  wonder,  when  each 
loyal  subject  erected  a  mournful  monument  for  her 
in  his  heart.  But,  soon  after,  all  English  souls  were 
employed  equally  to  divide  themselves  betwixt  ex- 
clamations of  sorrow  for  her  death  and  acclamations 
of  joy  for  king  James  his  succeeding  her  ^. 
KingJames  13.  And  uow  it  is  strauge  with  what  assiduity  and 
wdco.ne  diligence  the  two  potent  parties,  the  defenders  of 
message  to  episcopacy  and  presbytery,  with  equal  hopes  of  suc- 
j.ai  lu.rty.  ccss,  uiadc  (bcsides  private  and  particular  addresses) 
public  and  visible  applications  to  king  James, — the 

a  [26  Oct.  1603.]  the  queen's  death   by  an  eye- 

^   [See  Goodman's  Memoirs     witness,    vol.    II.    p.    55,     and 
of  James  I.  for  an  account  of     note.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of' Britain.  259 

first  to  continue,  the  latter  to  restore,  or  ratlier  set  a.  d.  ife.i. 

,.  .  iiii'ii  ^        •  1  I  James. 

U])  their  government;  so  that,  wliilst  eacli  side  was 

jealous  his  rival  should  get  the  start  by  early  stirring, 
and  rise  first  in  the  king's  favour,  such  was  their 
vigilancy,  that  neither  may  seem  to  go  to  bed ;  in- 
cessantly diligent,  both  before  and  since  the  queen's 
death,  in  dispatching  posts  and  messages  into  Scot- 
land to  advance  their  several  designs  •;.  We  take 
notice  of  two  principal :  Mr.  Lewis  Pickering,  a 
Northamptonshire  gentleman,  and  zealous  for  the 
presbyterian  party,  was  the  third  person  of  quality, 
who,  riding  incredibly  swift,  (good  news  makes  good 
horsemen,)  brought  king  James  the  tidings  of  queen 
Elizabeth's  death  ;  but  how  far  and  with  what  an- 
swer he  moved  the  king  in  that  cause,  is  uncertain^. 
Dr.  Thomas  Nevill,  dean  of  Canterbury,  came  into 
Scotland  some  days  after  him,  (except  any  will  say 
that  he  comes  first  that  comes  really  to  effect  what 
he  was  sent  for,)  being  solemnly  employed  by  arch- 
bishop Whitgift  to  his  majesty,  in  the  name  of  the 
bishops  and  clergy  of  England,  to  tender  their 
bounden  duties,  and  to  understand  his  highness' 
pleasure  for  the  ordering  and  guiding  of  ecclesias- 


c  [*'  There  is  a   foolish   ru-         Among  others,  Watson,  the 

*'  mour   up   and    down   in   the  seminary    priest,    was    sent    to 

"  courtj    of    sir    H.   Bromley,  obtain  toleration  for  the  Roman 

"  lord   Thomas    Howard,   lord  catholics,  but  apparently  witli- 

"  Cobhani,    and    the    dean    of  out  ett'ect ;  and  this  may  be  the 

"  Canterbury,  Dr.  Nevile,  that  reason  why  seyeral  pamphlets 

"  each  should  go  to  move  the  were  put  forth  by  that  party  to 

"  king    for    w^hat     they    like  :  the   prejudice  of  James's   suc- 

"  Nevile    for    the     protestant,  cession.     See  Kennett's  JMSS. 

"  lord  Thomas  Howard  for  the  Ixxxix.  ]i.  i  i,  and  Watson's  re- 

"  papist,  Bromley  for  the  ])U-  markable  letter  in  the  Memoirs 

"  ritan,  lord    Cobham    for  the  of  James  I.  Vol.  \1.  p.  59  ] 
"  atheist."       IMS.    Journal    in  ^   [See   Goodman,  ib.  p..  28, 

Harl.  MSS,  5353.  and  note.] 

s  2 


260  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  i6o3.tical  causes  ^.     He  brought  back  a  welcome  answer 

I  James.  ^ 

to  such  as  sent  him  of  his  highness'  purpose,  "  which 

"  was  to  uphold  and  maintain  the  government  of 
"  the  late  queen,  as  she  left  it  settled." 

Watson's         24.  Soou  after  followed  the  treason  of  William 

silly  trea- 
son- Watson,  on    this    occasion.      This  Watson,  secular 

priest,  had  written  a  bitter  book  against  the  Jesuits, 
as  being  one  knowing,  though  not  so  secret,  of  their 
faults,  as  their  own  confessors  ;  taxing  them  with 
truth  so  plain,  they  could  not  deny — so  foul,  they 
durst  not  confess  it.  Now  such  is  the  charity  of 
Jesuits,  that  they  never  owe  any  man  any  ill-will, 
making  present  payment  thereof.  These  holy  fathers 
(as  Watson  intimated  on  the  scaffold,  at  his  death, 
and  forgave  them  for  the  same  ^)  "  cunningly  and 
"  covertly  drew  him  into  this  action,"  promoting 
him  (who  was  ambitious,  though  pretending  to  much 
mortification)  treasonably  to  practise  his  own  pre- 
ferment ^. 


e  Sir  G.  Paul's  Life  of  Whit-  the   Jesuits;  taxes   them   with 

gift,  §.126.  being   the   authors   of   all    the 

f  Stow's  Chron.  p.  831.  troubles  brought  upon  the  Ro- 

g  [Casaubon,    in    his    letter  man  catholics,  by  their  turlm- 

to   Fronto   Ducaeus,  says   that  lent    and     seditious    conduct ; 

Watson  and  Clarke  constantly  and  his  letter  asserts  that  this 

affirmed  that  they  communicat-  charge  of  treason  was  brought 

ed  their  consjiiracy  to  the  Je-  against  him  by  their  machina- 

suits,  and  asked  them  to  join  it;  tions,   in   order   to  get   rid   of 

but  they  refused,  alleging  that  him,  whom  they  dreaded  as  a 

theywere  engaged  in  some  other  powerful   enemy.     Yet   at   his 

plot,  meaning,  as  it  was   sup-  death  he  asks  their  pardon  and 

posed,  the  Gunpowder  Treason,  their  prayers.      See  note,  ix.  §. 

p.  89.  An  impenetrable  mystery  15.    It  would  seem,  then,  that 

hangs  about  this  by-}dot,  as  it  two  conspiracies  were  formed 

was    called.       Watson,    in   his  against  king  James,  the  one  by 

letter  to  the  lords  of  the  privy  the    secular   jiriests,  the  other 

council,  and  particularly  in  his  by  the  Jesuits  ;  and  it  is  not 

Quodlibets,  displays  the  bitter-  improbable  that  the  latter,  still 

est  zeal  and  animosity  against  retaining  a  sense  of  their  an- 


CENT.  XVII.  iff  Britain.  261 

15.  Watson,  with  William  Clarke,  another  of  his  a.  d.  1603. 

own  profession,  having   fancied  a  notional  treason, L 

imparted  it  to  George  Brooke,  one  angry  with  "iJ^'i)^^^^ 
nature,  not  so  much  for  making  him  lame,  as  a 
younger  brother.  These  break  it  to  (Brooke,  his 
brother)  the  lord  Cobham,  to  the  lord  Gray  of 
Whaddon,  and  sir  Walter  Raleigh — the  one  a  known 
protestant,  the  other  a  reputed  puritan,  the  third  an 

able  statesman  —  besides  some  other  knights,  dis- 
pleased with  their  present  fortunes  (how  quickly  is 
discontent  inflamed  into  disloyalty  !)  because,  since 
the  turning  of  the  wheel  at  the  queen's  death,  on 
the  wrong  side  of  preferment.  Watson  devised  an 
oath  of  secrecy  for  them  all,  which  was  no  more 
than  needful,  considering  their  different  interests — 
rather  pieced  than  united,  patched  than  pieced  to- 
gether. 

16.  Had  one   lost    his    religion,   he    might    have  Their  wild 
found  it  (though  I  confess  a  treason  is  but  a  bad  whereby  to 
place  to  seek  it  in)  in  this  conspiracy,  wherein  men  ^^d  end. 
of  all  persuasions  were  engaged.     Their  parts  were 

as  different  as  their  opinions,  some  of  them  being 
conceived  too  wise  to  begin,  and  others  too  weak 
to  finish  so  dangerous  a  design.  The  ends  they 
propounded  to  themselves  (as  they  were  charged 
therewith)  were,  to  kill  the  king,  raise  rebellion, 
alter  religion — at  least  gain  a  toleration,  and  procure 
a  foreign  invasion,  with  many  more  things,  which 
may  be  spoken  easier  in  a  minute  than  done  in  an 
age,  especially  their   interest   being   not   much    at 

cient  grudge  against  the  seen-  government,  but  had  sense  and 

lars,   which    originated   during  cunning  (certainly  not  honesty) 

the  latter  part  of  the  last  reign,  enough  to  keep  their  own  necks 

betrayed  this  conspiracy  to  the  out  of  the  snare.] 

s  3 


262  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.I 603. home,  and  nothino-  abroad.     They  ante-divided  all 

I  James.         rr»  /»  i 

offices  of  state  betwixt  themselves — lord  marshal  to 

one,  treasurer  to  another,  master  of  the  horse  to  a 
third,  secretary  to  a  fourth,  &c. ;  only  sir  Walter 
Raleigh  (able  to  discharge  any)  had  no  particular 
office  assigned  unto  him.  Watson  was  to  be  lord 
chancellor,  being  very  fit  for  the  place,  had  he  but 
as  much  skill  to  decide  causes  as  write  quodlibets. 
There  wanted  nothing  to  estate  them  in  all  these 
offices,  but  only  their  getting  of  them. 

The  two  17.  Wonder  not  that  this  treason  was  discovered 

priests  exe-  , 

cuted.  so  soon,  but  covered  so  long  ^.  The  two  priests  alone, 
with  George  Brooke,  were  executed  ;  who,  to  use  the 
words  of  king  James  in  his  letter  to  sir  Benjamin 
Tichbourne,  sheriff  of  Hampshire,  (for,  the  plague 
being  in  London,  term  was  removed  to  Winchester, 
where  they  were  tried,)"  vaire  the  principall  plotteris 
"  and  intisairs  of  all  the  rest,  to  the  embracing  of  the 
"  saidis  treasonabil  machinations '."     The  rest  were 


^   [According    to    Johnston,  ing  it.  I.  p.  63,  and  the  Letters, 

Francis     Barnaby,    a    Ko-niish  II.p.86,  sq.   He  conceives  that 

priest,  first  discovered  the  j)k)t  sir   George  Brooke  alone  was 

to  Bancroft,  and  he  to  Cecil ;  cnlpable,  who  in  a  fit  of  dis- 

but  Barnaby  could  mention  no  content  formed  the  plot,  with 

others  than  Watson  and  Clarke;  a  view  to  gain  favour  by  dis- 

which  seems  to  confirm  the  as-  covering  it.] 
sertion  of  bishop  Goodman,  that  i  [This  letter  is  published  at 

Raleigh  was  no  otherwise  con-  length  in  a  tract  entitled,  "  The 

cerned  in  the  plot  than  as  being  "  Copy    of    a    Letter    written 

aware  of  its  existence,  which  he  "  from  Master  T.  M.,  near  Sa- 

had  intended   to   disclose,  but  "  lisbury,  to  Master  H.  A.,  at 

was  anticipated.    See  Johnston,  "  London,  concerning  the  pro- 

Hist.  Br.  p.  372.      Some  inge-  "  ceedings      at     Winchester  ; 

nious  remarks  upon  it  will  be  "  where  the  late  lord  Cobham, 

found  in  Tytler's  Life  of  Ra-  "  lord    Gray,    and    sir    Grifiin 

leigh,    p.  257,  sq.  and   p.  444.  "  Markham,    all    attainted    of 

Bishop  Goodman,  in  his   Me-  "  high  treason,  were  ready  to 

moirs,  has  furnished  some  very  "  be  executed,  on    Friday  the 

important  information  respect-  "  9th    of     December,    1603." 


(^ENT.  XVII.  of  liritain.  263 

iiardoned  their  lives,  not  their  kinds  J.    We  must  not  a.d.  1603. 

■•  _  I  James. 

forget  that  the  priests  pleaded  the  silliest  for  them 

selves  of  all  that  were  arraigned,  alleging  that  their 
practice  against  the  king  could  not  be  treason, 
because  done  against  him  before  he  was  crowned  ^ ; 
Watson  instancing  in  Saul,  who  was  anointed  in 
Ramah ',  and  afterward  made  king  in  Mizpeh  ™. 
Clarke  insisted  on  Rehoboam,  as  being  no  king  till 
the  people  had  made  him  so  ° ;  not  remembering 
(what  our  lawyers  there  minded  them  of)  the  differ- 
ence betwixt  successive  kings,  deriving  their  claim 
from  their  ancestors,  and  one  newly  elected  ;  the 
English  crown  also  being  as  incapable  of  an  inter- 
regnum as  nature  of  a  vacuity.  Meantime  the  Jesuits 
looked  on,  and  laughed  at  Watson's  execution,  to 
see  how  bunglingly  secular  priests  went  about  a 
treason,  resolving  in  the  next  platform  thereof  (which 
now  they  were  contriving)  to  rectify  the  errors 
Watson  had  committed ;  not  to  engage  in  a  squint- 
eyed  company,  where  two  did  not  look  the  same 
way,  but  to  select  a  competency  of  cordial  catholics 
for  the  purpose. 

18.  No  sooner  was  king  James  settled  on  the  3ir.  Cart- 
English  throne,  but  Mr.  Cartwright  presented  untoaiclftesa^' 
him  his   Latin  Comment  on  Ecclesiastes  °,   thank-  ki^g james 


This  tract  was  printed  in  1603,  1^   [See  the  voluntary  decla- 

and     reprinted     in     IMorgan's  ration   of  Ant.   Copley,   dated 

Phoenix  Britannicus,  p.  51.]  \\\\\  July,  i6o3,  in  Lingard's 

J    [Watson  and  Clarke  were  Hist.  Eng.  VI.  p.  641.] 

hanged  upon   29th  Nov.,  and  *    i  Sam.  x.  i. 

both  cut  down  alive.     Brooke  "^  Ibid.  ver.  24. 

was     beheaded     on     Monday,  "    1  Kings  xii.i. 

Dec.  5,  in  the  castle-yard.    See  "   [Printed    at    London    in 

Carte's  History,  III.  p.  722.]  1604,  in  410.] 

s4 


264  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1603.  fully  mentioning  in  his  Dedication  how  he  had, 
^some  twenty  years  before,  been  chosen  to  be  pro- 
fessor in  a  Scotch  university,  though  declining  the 
aece])tance  thereof  because^  of  his  pastoral  charge, 
being  then  minister  to  the  English  congregation  at 
Antwer]) — thanks,  perchance,  not  so  proper  to  the 
person  of  king  James,  (though  in  loyalty  and  good 
manners  justly  tendered  unto  him,)  as  due  rather  to 
those  who  in  his  minority  steered  the  affairs  of  Scot- 
land. Nor  let  any  wonder  that  an  Englishman 
shouhl  be  proffered  preferment  in  Scotland,  seeing 
it  was  but  one  for  another,  remembering  that  I  have 
read  in  the  life  of  ]Mr.  Knox  that  he  was  offered 
an  English  bishoi)ric,  in  the  rt^gn  (as  I  take  it)  of 
king  Edward  the  Sixth,  and  likewise  refused  the 
same. 
Mr.  Cart-  19.  But  Mr.  Cart wri gilt  survived  not  long  after, 
death.'  "*"  (otherwisc,  no  doubt,  w^e  should  have  heard  of  him 
in  IIam])ton  Court  conference,  as  the  cham])ion  of 
his  party,)  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixty,  on  the 
twenty-seventh  of  December  following.  To  what 
we  have  formerly  largely  writ  of  his  character,  we 
now  only  add  that  he  was  born  in  Hertfordshire, 
and  married  the  sister  of  Mr.  Stubbs  p,  whose  hand 
was  struck  off"  for  writing  an  (interpreted)  libel 
against  queen  Elizabeth's  marriage  with  Monsieur*!. 
This  I  dare  boldly  say,  she  was  a  most  excellent 
wife,  if  she   proved   like  her  brother,  whom   Mr. 


P  [The  Discovery  of  ;i  gaping  lotting  licT  Majesty  see  the  Sin 

Gulf    whereinto     England     is  and  Punishment  thereof.  Mense 

like   to   be    swallowed    Ly  an-  Augusti,  1579.     8vo.] 
other  French  Marriage,  if  the  q  Canulen  in  his  Eliz.  1581. 

Lord  forbid  not  the  IJanns,  by 


CENT,  XVII.  of  Britain.  265 

Camden  (no  great  friend  of  puritans)  cordially  coni-A.n.  ifo^. 
mendeth  for  a  right  honest  man,  generally  beloved  _!._!"^!!l_ 
whilst  living,  and  lamented  when  dead.  lie  Avas 
afflicted  towards  his  old  age  with  many  infirmities, 
insomuch  that  he  was  forced  continually  to  study 
u])on  his  knees  '".  My  ears  shall  be  deaf  to  the 
uncharitable  inference  of  those  who  im]>ute  this 
extraordinary  painful  posture  as  a  just  punishment 
upon  him,  in  that  he  had  so  bitterly  inveighed 
against  the  gesture  of  those  as  superstitious  who 
reverently  received  the  sacrament  on  their  knees. 
Mr.  Dodd  preached  his  funeral  sermon, 

20,  And  now,  because  there  was  a  general  expec- The  pres- 
tation of  a  parliament,  suddenly  to  succeed  the  jlrtUilMrto 
Presbyterian  party,  that  they  mitrht  not  be  surprised  ^"^f.  "'"' , 

1  •/  1         J  ^  J  r'  1  parliament, 

before  they  had  their  tackling  about  them,  went 
about  to  get  hands  of  the  ministers  to  a  petition, 
which  they  intended  seasonably  to  present  to  the 
king  and  parliament.  IMr.  Arthur  Hildersham  and 
Mr,  Stephen  Egerton,  with  some  others,  were  chosen, 
and  chiefly  intrusted  to  manage  this  important  bu- 
siness. This  w^as  called  "  the  millenary  petition,"  as 
one  of  a  thousand  ^,  though  indeed  tliere  were  but 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  preachers'  hands  set  there- 
unto, but  those  all  collected  only  out  of  five  and 
twenty  counties.  However,  for  the  more  rotundity 
of  the  number  and  grace  of  the  matter,  it  passeth 
for  a  full  thousand  ;  which,  no  doubt,  the  collectors 


r   See    his    Life,    lately    set  set  forth  by  Samuel  Clark  [at 

forth  by  M.  Clark,  [in  his  Lives  the  end  of  his  Gen.  Martyro- 

of  Thirty-two  English  Divines,  logy,  p.  377,  ed.  fol.  165 1.  See 

p.  367.]  this    petition    exemplified    be- 

s  See  Mr.  Hildersham's  Life,  low.] 


266 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.D.  i6o.vof  the  names,  if  so  pleased,  mioht  easily  have  eom- 

I  James.  o  ^ 

pleted.     I  dare  not  guess   what  made  them   desist 

before  their  number  was  finished  :  whether  they 
thouglit  that  these  were  enough  to  do  the  deed, 
and  moe  were  rather  for  ostentation  than  use ;  or, 
because  disheartened  by  the  intervening  of  the 
Hampton  Court  conference,  they  thought  that  these 
were  even  too  many  to  petition  for  a  denial.  It  is 
left  as  yet  uncertain  whether  this  conference  was  by 
the  king's  favour  graciously  tendered,  or  by  the 
mediation  of  the  lords  of  his  council  powerfully 
procured,  or  by  the  bishops  (as  confident  of  their 
cause)  voluntarily  proffered,  or  by  the  ministers'  im- 
portunity effectually  obtained.  Each  opinion  pre- 
tends to  probability,  but  the  last  most  likely ;  and, 
by  what  means  soever  this  conference  was  com- 
passed, Hampton  Court  was  the  place,  the  fourteenth 
of  January  the  time  *,  and  the  following  names  the 
persons  which  were  employed  therein  "  : 


For  Conformity. 
Archbishop  of  Canterlmry,  \rhitgift. 

Bishop   of  London,  Bancroft. 

Durham,  Matthew. 

Wiiicliester,  Bilson. 

W^orcester,  Babington. 

St.  David's,  Rudd. 

•  Chichester,  Watson. 

Carlisle,  Robinson. 

Peterborough,  Dove. 

Dean   of  The  Chapel,  [Dr.  James 
Mountague.J 

Christ  Church,  [Dr. Ravis.] 

Worcester,  [Dr.  EdesJ  x. 

W^estminster,  Andrewes. 

St.  Paul's,  Overall. 

Chester,  Barlow. 

Salisbury,  Bridges. 

Windsor  V. 

I)r.  Field,  (dean  of  (iloucester.] 

I  )r.  King,  [archdeacon  of  Nottingham.] 


Moderator. 
King  James. 

Spectators. 

All  the  lords  of 
theprivycoun- 
cil,  whereas 
some  at  times 
interposed  a 
few  words. 

Place. 

A  withdrawing 
room  within 
the  privy 
chamber. 


Against  Conformity. 

Dr.  Reynolds. 
Dr.  Sparks. 

Mr.  Knewstubs. 
Rlr.  [Laurence] 
Chaderton. 

These,  remaining 
in  a  room  with- 
out, were  not 
called  in  the  first 
day. 


CENT.  xvii.  of  Britain.  ^G7 

To  omit  all  gratulatory  preambles,  (as  necessary  a.  d.  1603. 

when  spoken,  as  needless  if  now  re])eate(l,)  we  will — — 

present  only  the  substance  of  this  clay's  conference, 
his  majesty  thus  beginning  it : 

"  It  is  no  novel  device,  but  according  to  the 
"  exam])le  of  all  Christian  princes,  for  kings  to  take 
"  the  first  course  for  the  establishing  of  the  church, 
"  both  in  doctrine  and  policy  ^.  To  this  the  very 
"  heathen  related  in  their  proverb,  A  Jove  priu- 
*'  cipimn,  particularly  in  this  land.  King  Henry 
"  the  Eighth,  towards  the  end  of  his  reign,  altered 
"  much ;  king  Edward  the  Sixth  more ;  queen  JVIary 
"  reversed  all  ;  and  lastly,  queen  Elizabeth  (of 
"  famous  memory  ^)  settled  religion  as  now  it 
"  stand  eth. 

"  Herein  I  am  happier  than  they,  because  they 
"  were  fain  to  alter  all  things  they  found  established; 
"  whereas  I  see  yet  no  such  cause  to  change,  as  con- 
"  firm  what  I  find  well  settled  already.  For  blessed 
"  be  God's  gracious  goodness  ^,  who  hath  brought  me 


t   [It  was  at  first  appointed  were  summoned  by  letters,  and 

on  the  12th  of  January,  (Tliiirs-  present  in  the  presence-cham- 

day,)  but   afterwards   deferred  ber  ;  yet  only  five  (viz.  of  the 

by  the  king  till  the  14th.    Bar-  Chapel,    Westminster,    Paul's, 

low,  &c.,  p.  2.     Heylyn's  Hist.  Chester,  and  Salisbury)  on  the 

of  the  Presbyterians,  p.  368.]  first  day  were  called  in.     [Bar- 

11   [The  account  of  this  con-  low's  Sum    of   the    Conf.   &e. 

ference  was  published   by  Dr.  p.  2.] 

Barlow,  then  dean  of  Chester,  ^    [Barlow,  ib.  p.  3.] 

in  1604.     It  was  reprinted  in  a   Note,    his    majesty   never 

1638,  and  again  in  a  collection  remembered  her  but  with  some 

of  tracts  called  "  The  Phoenix."  honourable     addition.       [^Bar- 

8vo.]  low.] 

"   [See  Wood's  Papers,  Vol.  ^  Q"  At  wliich  words  he  put 

II.  p.  39.]  "  off  his  hat."     Barlow,  ib.  p. 

y    Though    all    these    deans  142.] 


268 


A.D.  1603. 
I  James. 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


'  into  the  promised  land,  where  religion  is  purely 
])rofessed,  where  I  sit  amongst  grave,  learned,  and 
reverend  men  ;  not  as  before,  elsewhere,  a  king 
without  state,  without  honour,  without  order, 
where  beardless  boys  would  brave  us  to  the 
face. 

"  And,  I  assure  you,  we  have  not  called  this 
assembly  for  any  innovation ;  for  we  acknowledge 
the  government  ecclesiastical,  as  now  it  is,  to  have 
been  approved  by  manifold  blessings  from  God 
himself,  both  for  the  increase  of  the  gospel,  and 
with  a  most  hapjiy  and  glorious  peace.  Yet,  be- 
cause nothing  can  be  so  absolutely  ordered  but 
that  something  may  be  added  thereunto,  and  cor- 
ruption in  any  state  (as  in  the  body  of  man)  will 
insensibly  grow  either  through  tijne  or  persons  ; 
and  because  we  have  received  many  com])laints, 
since  our  first  entrance  into  this  kingdom,  of  many 
disorders  and  much  disobedience  to  the  lav  s,  with 
a  great  falling  away  to  popery  :  our  purpose  there- 
fore is,  like  a  good  physician,  to  examine  and  try 
the  complaints,  and  fully  to  remove  the  occasions 
thereof,  if  scandalous — cure  them,  if  dangerous — 
and  take  knowledge  of  them,  if  but  frivolous ; 
thereby  to  cast  a  sop  into  Cerberus  his  mouth, 
that  he  bark  no  more.  For  this  cause  we  have 
called  you  bishops  and  deans  in,  severally  by  your- 
selves, not  to  be  confronted  by  the  contrary  oppo- 
nents, that  if  any  thing  should  be  found  meet  to 
be  redressed,  it  might  be  done  without  any  visible 
alteration. 
"  Particularly  there  be  some  special  points  wherein 

"  I  desire  to  be  satisfied,  and  which  may  be  reduced 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Rritain.  269 

"  to  three  heads:  1.  Concerning  the  Book  of  Com- a. d.  1603. 

„  IT-  •  1    .        1  1  1        '  James. 

"  mon  iTayer,  and  divme  service  used  in  the  churcli 

"  2.  Excommunication  in  ecclesiastical  courts.  3. 
"  The  providing  of  fit  and  able  ministers  for  Ireland. 
"  In  the  Common  Prayer  Book  I  require  satisfaction 
"  about  three  things  : 

i.  "  First,  about  confirmation  ;  for  the  very  name 
"  thereof,  if  arguing  a  confirming  of  baptism,  as  if 
"  this  sacrament  without  it  were  of  no  validity,  is 
"  plainly  blasphemous.  For  though  at  the  first  use 
"  thereof  in  the  church  it  was  thought  necessary 
"  that  baptized  infants,  who  formerly  had  answered 
"  by  their  pairini,  should  [be  examined]  when  come 
"  to  years  of  discretion,  [and]  after  their  profession 
"  made  by  themselves,  be  confirmed  with  the  blessing 
"  of  the  bishop,  I  abhor  the  abuse  [in  popery,]  where 
"  it  is  made  a  sacrament  and  a  corroboration  to 
"  baptism. 

ii.  "  As  for  absolution,  I  know  not  how  it  is  used 
"  in  your  church,  but  have  heard  it  likened  to  the 
"  pope's  pardons.  There  be,  indeed,  [only]  two 
"  kinds  thereof  from  God :  one  general,  all  j^rayers 
"  and  preaching  importing  an  absolution ;  the  other 
"  particular,  to  special  parties  having  committed  a 
"  scandal,  and  repenting.  Otherwise,  where  excom- 
"  munication  [or  penance]  precedes  not,  in  my  judg- 
"  ment  there  needs  no  absolution. 

iii.  ^'Private  baptism  is  the  third  thing  wherein  I 
"  would  be  satisfied  in  the  Common  Prayer:  if  called 
"  private  from  the  place,  I  think  it  agreeable  with 
"  the  use  of  the  primitive  church ;  but  if  termed 
"  private  that  any  besides  a  lawful  minister  may 
"  baptize,  I  utterly  dislike  it."    And  here  his  majesty 


270  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  I  r.o.v  <?rew  somewhat   earnest  in  liis  expressions   against 

'*'"*'''—  tlie  baptizing  by  AAomen  and  laics. 

2,  i.  "  In  the  second  head,  excommunication^  I 
"  offer  two  things  to  be  considered  of:  first,  the 
"  matter ;  secondly,  the  persons.  For  the  first,  I 
"  would  be  satisfied  whether  it  be  executed,  as  it  is 
"  com})lained  of  to  me,  in  light  causes,  and  that  too 
"  commonly,  which  causeth  the  undervaluing  thereof. 
"  For  the  persons,  I  would  be  resolved  why  chan- 
"  cellors  and  commissaries,  being  laymen,  should  do 
"  it,  and  not  rather  the  bishops  themselves,  or  some 
"  minister  of  gravity  and  account,  deputed  by  them 
"  for  the  more  dignity  to  so  high  and  weighty  a 
"  censure.  As  for  providing  ministers  for  Ireland,  I 
"  shall  refer  it,  in  the  last  day's  conference,  to  a 
"  consultation." 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury. — "  Confirmation  hath 
"  been  used  in  the  catholic  church  ever  since  the 
"  apostles ;  and  it  is  a  very  untrue  suggestion,  if 
"  any  have  informed  your  highness  that  the  church 
"  of  England  holds  baptism  imperfect  without  it,  as 
"  adding  to  the  virtue  and  strength  thereof**." 

Bishoj)  of  London. — "The  authority  of  confirma- 
"  tion  depends  not  only  on  antiquity  ^,  and  the 
"  practice  of  the  primitive  church,  but  is  an  aposto- 
"  lical  institution,  named  in  express  words,  Heb.  vi. 
"  2 ;  and  so  did  Mr.  Calvin  expound  the  very  jilace, 
"  earnestly  wishing  the  restitution  thereof  in  the 
"  reformed  churches." 


b  He   addressed   himself  to  132,  ed.  1726  ;  and  Jerome  ad- 

the  king  on  his  knee.      [Bar-  versus  Luciferian.  [IV.  pj).  294, 

low,  ib.  p.  9.]  295,  ed.  Paris,  1706.] 

c  Citing  Cypr.  Ep.  Ixxiii.  p. 


CENT.  XVII. 


ff  Britain.  271 


The  bishop  of  CmihU  is  said  gravely  and  learn-A.D.  if5o3. 

1       1  7  •    7  /•   '  James. 

edly  to  have  urged  the   same ;   and   tlie   bishop   oj 

Durham  noted  something  out  of  St.  Matthew  for 
the  imposition  of  hands  on  chikh-en. 

The  conclusion  was  this:  for  the  fidler  explana- 
tion that  we  make  confirmation  neither  a  sacrament 
nor  a  corroboration  thereof,  their  lordshi])S  should 
consider  whether  it  might  not  without  alteration 
(whereof  his  majesty  was  still  very  wary)  be  entitled 
an  examination  with  a  confirmation. 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury. — "  As  for  the  point  of 
"  absolution,  (wherein  your  majesty  desires  satisfac- 
"  tion,)  it  is  clear  from  all  abuse  or  superstition,  as 
"  it  is  used  in  our  church  of  England,  as  will  appear 
"  on  the  reading  both  of  the  Confession  and  Abso- 
"  lution  following  it,  in  the  beginning  of  the  Com- 
"  munion  Book." 

Here  the  king  perused  both,  and  returned — 

His  Majesty. — "  I  like  and  approve  them,  finding 
"  it  to  be  very  true  what  you  say." 

Bishop  of  London.  — "  It  becometh  us  to  deal 
"  jdainly  with  your  majesty  :  there  is  also  in  the 
"  book  a  more  particular  and  personal  absolution  in 
"  the  Visitation  of  the  Sick." 

Here  the  dean  of  the  Chapel  turned  unto  it  and  These  he 

'•  severally 

read  it.  iite<i. 

Bishop  of  London. — "  Not  only  the  confessions  of 
"  Augusta,  Boheme,  and  Saxon,  retain  and  allow  it, 
"  but  Mr.  Calvin  also  doth  approve  both  such  a 
"  general  and  such  a  private  (for  so  he  terms  it) 
"  confession  and  absolution." 

Llis  Majesty. — "  I  exceedingly  well    approve    it, 


272  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1603.  "  being  an  apostolical  and  godly  ordinance,  given  in 

^  "  the  name  of  Christ  to  one  that  desireth  it,  upon 

"  the  clearing  of  his  conscience." 

The  conclusion  was  this  :  that  the  bishops  should 
consult  whether  unto  the  rubric  of  the  general  abso- 
lution, these  words,  "  remission  of  sins,"  might  not 
be  added  for  explanation  sake. 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury. — "  To  the  point  of 
"  private  baptism,  the  administration  thereof  by 
"  women  and  lay  persons  is  not  allowed  in  the 
"  practice  of  the  church,  but  inquired  of,  and  cen- 
"  sured  by  bishops  in  their  visitations  *^." 

His  Majesty. — "  The  words  of  the  book  cannot 
"  but  intend  a  permission  of  women  and  private 
'*  persons  to  baptize." 

Bishop  of  Worcester. — "  The  doubtful  words  may 
*'  be  pressed  to  that  meaning ;  yet  the  compilers  of 
"  the  book  did  not  so  intend  them,  as  appeareth 
"  by  their  contrary  practice ;  but  they  propounded 
"  them  ambiguously,  because  otherwise,  perhaps, 
"  the  book  would  not  then  have  passed  the  par- 
"  liament  ^" 

Bishop  of  London.  —  "  Those  reverend  men  in- 
"  tended  not  by  ambiguous  terms  to  deceive  any, 
"  but  thereby  intended  a  permission  of  private  per- 
"  sons  to  baptize  in  case  of  necessity  f.  This  is 
*'  agreeable  to  the  practice  of  the  ancient  church, 
"  (Acts  ii.)  when  three  thousand  being  baptized  in 
"  a  day,  (which  for  the  apostles  alone  to  do  was  at 

d   [Barlow,  ib.  p.  14  ]  ^  Here  he  produced  the  let- 

e  To  this  he  cited  the  tes-  ters  of  some  of  those  first  com- 

timony   of   the    archbishop    of  pilers. 

York.' 


CENT.  XVII.  o/Britfiiti.  273 

"the  least  improbable,)  some  being  neither  priests  a.  b.  ir.op,. 

,.,  ,  ,  111-'  James. 

"  nor  bisliojis  must  be  j)resnme(l  em})ioyed  tliereni ; 

"  and  some  fathers  are  of  the  same  o})inion."  Here 
he  spake  much  and  earnestly  about  the  necessity  of 
baptism. 

His  Majesty.  —  *'  That  in  the  Acts  was  an  act 
"  ea^traordinary,  and  done  before  a  church  was  set- 
"  tied  and  grounded ;  wherefore  no  sound  reasoning 
"  thence  to  a  church  stablished  and  flourishing. 
"  I  maintain  the  necessity  of  baptism,  and  always 
"  thought  the  place,  John  iii.  5,  Except  one  he  horn 
"  again  of  umter,  &c.,  was  meant  thereof.  It  may 
"  seem  strange  to  you,  my  lords,  that  I  think  you 
"  in  England  give  too  much  to  baptism  ;  seeing 
"  fourteen  months  ago,  in  Scotland,  I  argued  witli 
"  my  divines  there  for  attributing  too  little  unto  it : 
"  insomuch  that  a  pert  minister  asked  me  if  I 
*'  thought  baptism  so  necessary,  that,  if  omitted,  the 
"  child  should  be  damned  ?  I  answered,  '  No  ;  but 
*'  if  you,  called  to  baptize  a  child,  though  privately, 
"  refuse  to  come,  I  think  you  shall  be  damned.' 

"  But  this  necessity  of  baptism  I  so  understand, 
"  that  it  is  necessary  to  be  had  where  it  may  be 
"  lawfully  had,  that  is,  ministered  by  lawful  minis- 
"  ters,  by  whom  alone,  and  no  private  person  in  any 
"  case,  it  may  be  administered ;  though  I  utterly  dis- 
"  like  all  rebaptization,  although  either  women  or 
"  laics  have  baptized." 

Bishop  of  Winchester. — "  To  deny  private  persons 
"  to  baptize  in  case  of  necessity,  were  to  cross  all 
"  antiquity,  and  the  common  practice  of  the  church ; 
"  it  being  a  rule  agreed  on  amongst  divines,  that  the 
"  minister  is  not  of  the  essence  of  the  sacrament." 

His  Majesty. — "  Though  he  be  not  of  the  essence 

FULLEK,    VOL.  V.  T 


274  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1603. "  of  the  sacrament,  yet  is  lie  of  the  essence  of  the 

I  James.  ,  /.   1     * 

"  right   and   lawful    ministry   thereof,  according*   to 

"  Christ's  commission  to  his  disciples,  Go^  preach 
"  and  baptize  &,  &c." 

The  result  was  this :  to  consult  whether  in  the 
rubric  of  private  baptism,  which  leaves  it  indiffer- 
ently to  all,  these  words,  "  curate  or  lawful  minister,'* 
may  not  be  inserted. 

For  the  point  of  eo'communication,  his  majesty 
]^ro]ioundcd,  whether  in  causes  of  lesser  moment 
the  name  might  not  be  altered,  and  the  same  cen- 
sure retained.  Secondly,  whether  in  place  thereof 
another  coercion,  equivalent  thereunto,  might  not 
be  invented  ^^  Which  all  sides  easily  yielded  unto, 
as  long  and  often  desired  ^     And  so  was 

The  end  of  the  first  Daifs  Conference. 

On  Monday,  January  the  16th,  they  all  met  in 
the  same  place,  with  all  the  deans  and  doctors 
above  mentioned ;  Patrick  Galloway,  minister  of 
Perth  in  Scotland,  admitted  also  to  be  there ;  and 
hopeful  prince  Henry  sat  on  a  stool  by  his  father  ^. 

The  king  made  a  pithy  speech  to  the  same  pur- 
pose which  he  made  the  first  day,  differing  only  in 
the  conclusion  thereof;  being  an  address  to  the 
four  opposers  of  conformity  there  present,  whom  he 
understood  "  to  be  the  most  grave,  learned,  and 
"  modest  of  the  aggrieved  sort ;"  professing  himself 

g  ]Matt.  xxviii.  20.  "  jesty,  (the  late  queen,)  who 

^   [Barlow,  ib.  p.  19.]  "  resolved    to  be   still   semper 

>  ["  A    thing    very    easily  "  eadem,  and  to  alter  nothing 

**'  yielded  unto  of  all  sides,  be-  '*  which  she  had  once  settled." 

"  cause  it  had  been  long  and  Barlow,  p.  19.] 

"  often  desired,  but  could  not  ^   [Barlow,  ib.  p.  2 1 .] 
"  be    obtained   from    her   ma- 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  275 

ready  to  hear  at  large  what  they  could  object,  and  a.  d.  1603. 

.„,,,.,  I  James. 

Willed  them  to  begin  \  

Dr.Reijnolds. — "All  things  disliked  or  questioned 
"  may  be  reduced  to  these  four  heads : 

i.  "  That  the  doctrine  of  the  church  might  be 
"  preserved  in  purity,  according  to  God's  word." 

ii.  "  That  good  pastors  might  be  planted  in  all 
"  churches,  to  preach  the  same." 

iii.  "  That  the  church -government  might  be  sin- 
"  cerely  ministered,  according  to  God's  word." 

iv.  "  That  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  might 
"  be  fitted  to  more  increase  of  piety. 

"  For  the  first,  may  your  majesty  be  pleased  that 
"  the  Book  of  Articles  of  Religion,  concluded  on 
"  1562,  may  be  explained  where  obscure,  enlarged 
*'  where  defective :  viz.,  whereas  it  is  said,  (Article 
"  the  16th,)  '  After  we  have  received  the  Holy 
"  Ghost,  we  may  depart  from  grace,'  those  words 
"  may  be  explained  with  this  or  the  like  addition : 
"  '  yet  neither  totally  nor  finally.'  To  which  end  it 
"  would  do  very  well  if  the  nine  orthodoxal  asser- 
"  tions  concluded  on  at  Lambeth  might  be  inserted 
"  into  the  Book  of  Articles. 

"  Secondly,  whereas  it  is  said  in  the  2l3rd  Article, 
"  '  that  it  is  not  lawful  for  any  in  the  congregation 
"  to  preach  before  he  be  lawfully  called,'  these  words 
"  ought  to  be  altered,  because  implying  one  out  of 
"  the  congregation  may  preach,  though  not  lawfully 
"  called. 

"  Thirdly,  in  the  25th  Article  there  seemeth  a 
"  contradiction,  one  passage  therein  confessing  con- 

1  [When  Dr.  Reynolds  be-  other  delegates,  kneeled  down, 
gan    to    speak,    he,    with    the     Barlow,  ib.  p.  23.] 

T  2 


276  The  Church  Histury  book  x. 

A.p. if)03. «  fimiation  'to  be  a  depraved  imitation  of  the  apo- 

I  James.  *  ' 

■ "  Sties,'  and  another  grounding  it  on  their  example." 

Bishop  of  London. — "May  your  majesty  be  pleased 
"  that  the  ancient  canon  may  be  remembered,  Schis- 
"  matici  contra  episcoj}OS  non  sunt  audiendi ;  and 
"  there  is  another  decree  of  a  very  ancient  council, 
"  '  that  no  man  should  be  admitted  to  speak  against 
"  that  whereunto  he  hath  formerly  subscribed.' 

"  And  as  for  you,  doctor  Reynolds,  and  your 
"  sociates,  how  much  are  ye  bound  to  his  majesty's 
"  clemency,  permitting  you,  contrary  to  the  statute 
"  primo  ElizahethcE,  so  freely  to  sj^eak  against  the 
"  liturgy  and  discipline  established.  Fain  would  I 
"  know  the  end  you  aim  at,  and  whether  you  be 
"  not  of  ]\Ir.  Cartwright's  mind,  who  affirmed,  '  that 
"  we  ought  in  ceremonies  rather  to  conform  to  the 
"  Turks  than  to  the  papists.'  I  doubt  you  approve 
*'  his  position,  because  here  appearing  before  his 
"  majesty  in  Turkey  gowns '",  not  in  your  scholastic 
"  habits,  according  to  the  order  of  the  universities," 
His  Majesty. — "  My  lord  bishop,  something  in 
*•'  your  passion  I  may  excuse,  and  something  I  must 
"  mislike  °.  I  may  excuse  you  thus  far,  that  I  think 
"  you  have  just  cause  to  be  moved,  in  respect  that 
"  they  traduce  the  well-settled  government,  and  also 
"  proceed  in  so  indirect  a  course,  contrary  to  their 
"  own  })retence  and  the  intent  of  this  meeting.  I 
"  mislike  your  sudden  interruption  of  Dr.  Reynolds, 
"  whom  you  should  have  suffered  to  have  taken  his 
"  liberty ;    for   there  is  no  order,  nor  can  be  any 


"»   [Heylyn's     Hist,    of    the     in  some  haste,  interrupting  Dr. 
Presbyterians,  p.  368.]  Reynolds.] 

"^   [The   bishop  had   spoken 


CENT.  XVII.  <)f' Britain.  277 

'"•  eftectual  issue  of  disputation,  if  each  party  be  not^.D.  I^o.^ 

^  1  '  James. 

*'  suffered,   without    chopping,    to    speak    at    uirge. 

"  Wherefore,  either  let  the  doctor  })roceed,  or  frame 
"  your  answer  to  his  motions  ah-eady  made,  although 
"  some  of  them  are  very  needless." 

Bishop  of  London. — "  Upon  the  first  motion  con- 
*'  corning  falling  from  grace,  may  your  majesty  be 
*'  pleased  to  consider  how  many  in  these  days  neglect 
"  holiness  of  life,  presuming  on  persisting  in  grace 
^'  upon  predestination, — '  If  I  shall  be  saved,  I  shall 
"  be  saved,' — a  desperate  doctrine,  contrary  to  good 
*'  divinity,  wherein  we  should  reason  rather  ascend- 
"  endo  than  descendendo,  from  our  obedience  to  God, 
*'  and  love  to  our  neighbour,  to  our  election  and 
"  predestination.  As  for  the  doctrine  of  the  church 
*'  of  England  touching  predestination,  it  is  in  the 
"  very  next  paragraph,  viz.,  '  We  must  receive  God's 
"  promises  in  such  wise  as  they  be  generally  set 
"  forth  to  us  in  holy  scripture ;  and  in  our  doings 
"  that  will  of  God  is  to  be  followed  which  we  have 
"  expressly  declared  unto  us  in  the  word  of  God.' " 

His  Majesty. — "  I  approve  it  very  well,  as  con- 
"  sonant  with  the  place  of  Paul,  Work  out  your 
*'  salvation  ivith  fear  and  trembling.  Yet  let  it  be 
"  considered  of,  whether  any  thing  were  meet  to  be 
"  added  for  clearing  of  the  doctor's  doubt,  by  put- 
"  tins'  in  the  word  '  often,'  or  the  like.  Meantime 
"  I  wish  that  the  doctrine  of  predestination  may  be 
"  tenderly  handled,  lest  on  the  one  side  God's  om- 
"  nipotency  be  questioned  by  impeaching  the  doc- 
"  trine  of  his  eternal  predestination ;  or  on  the  other 
"  side  a  desperate  presumption  arrcared,  by  inferring 
"  the  necessary  certainty  of  persisting  in  grace." 

Bishop   of  London.  - —  "  The   second  objection  of 

T  3 


278  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.I).  1603. "  the   doctor's  is   vain,   it  being   the   doctrine    and 

'-  '*  practice  of  the  church  of  England  that  none  but 

"  a  licensed  minister  may  preach  nor  administer  the 
"  Lord's  Supper." 

His  Majesty.  — "  As  for  private  baptism,  I  have 
"  already  with  the  bishops  taken  order  for  the 
"  same." 

Then  came  they  to  the  third  point,  of  confirma- 
tion ;  and  upon  the  perusal  of  the  words  of  the 
Article,  his  majesty  concluded  the  pretended  con- 
tradiction a  cavil  °. 

Bishop  of  London. — ^'•Confirmation  is  not  so  much 
'*  founded  on  the  place  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
"  but  upon  Heb.  vi.  2,  which  was  the  opinion  (besides 
"  the  judgment  of  the  fathers)  of  Mr.  Calvin  p  and 
"  Dr.  Fulk  1 ;  neither  needeth  there  any  farther 
"  proof,  seeing,  as  I  suppose,  he  that  objected  this 

o  [^The  cavil  was  upon  these  "  Qui  erant  extranei,  non  ante 

words:  "That  when  the  Article  "  perveniebant  ad  Baptisumm, 

"  states   that  these  five,  com-  "  quam  edita  fidei  confessione. 

"  monly  called  sacraments,  that  "  In  illis  ergo  catechesis  bap- 

"  is  to  say,  Contirmation,  Pe-  "  tismuni    praecedere     solebat. 

"  nance,    &c.    are    not    to    be  "  At  liberi   fidelium,  quoniam 

"  accounted  for  sacraments  of  "  ab  utero  adoptati    erant,  et 

"  the    gospel,    being    such    as  "  jure  promissionis  pertinebant 

"  have    grown    partly   of    the  "  ad   corpus   ecclesitE   infantes 

"corrupt     following     of     the  "  baptizabantur :  transactavero 

'•  apostles,"  &c.  —  the  Puritans  "  infantia,  postquam    instituti 

would  have  wrested  it  to  mean  "  erant  in    fide   se  quoque  ad 

that  Confirmation  is  a  depraved  "  catechesim     ofFerebant,    qua; 

imitation  of  the   apostles.     A  "  in  illis  baptismo  erat  poste- 

miserable    shift   it   must    have  "  rior ;    sed     aliud    symbolum 

been,  which   could   drive  men,  "  tunc      adhibebatur,      nem])e 

professing    a    desire    of   unity  "  manuum  impjsitio.  Hie  unus 

and    love,    to    descend    to    so  "  locus  abunde  testatur  hujus 

pitiful  and  dishonest  a  quibble,  "  cseremoniaj  originem  fluxisse 

such  as  this  and  some  others  "  ab  apostolis."] 

below.]  q  On  Acts  viii.  17,   [in   his 

P  On  Heb.  vi.  2.  [The  notes  on  the  lihemish  Testa- 
words    of    Calvin    arc   these  :  ment.j 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  279 

"holds  not  confirmation  unlawful;  but  he  and  hisA. D.  1603, 

"  party  are  vexed   that  the   use   thereof  is  not   in '— 

"  their  own  hands,  for  every  pastor  to  confirm  his 
"  own  parish  ;  for  then  it  would  be  accounted  an 
"  apostolical  institution,  if  Dr.  Reynolds  were  pleased 
"  but  to  speak  his  thoughts  therein." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  Indeed,  seeing  some  diocese  of 
"  a  bishop  hath  therein  six  hundred  parishes  "■,  it  is 
"  a  thing  very  inconvenient  to  permit  confirmation 
"  to  the  bishop  alone ;  and  I  suppose  it  impossible 
"  that  he  can  take  due  examination  of  them  all 
"  which  come  to  be  confirmed." 

Bishop  of  London.  —  "  To  the  matter  of  fact  I 
"  answer,  that  bishops  in  their  visitations  appoint 
"  either  their  chaplains  or  some  other  ministers  to 
"  examine  them  which  are  to  be  confirmed,  and 
"  lightly  confirm  none  but  by  the  testimony  of  the 
"  parsons  and  curates  where  the  children  are  bred 
"  and  brought  up. 

"  To  the  opinion  I  answer,  that  none  of  all  the 
"  fathers  ever  admitted  any  to  confirm  but  bislio])s 
"  alone.  Yea,  even  St.  Jerome  himself  (otherwise 
"  no  friend  to  bishops)  confesseth  the  execution 
"  thereof  was  restrained  to  bishops  only  ^." 

Bishop  of  Winchester. — "  Dr.  Reynolds,  I  would 
"  fain  have  you,  with  all  your  learning,  shew  wher- 
"  ever  confirmation  was  used  in  ancient  times  by 
"  any  other  but   bishops  ;    these   used   it  partly  to 


r  Here  the  bishop  of  Lon-  "  Sacerdotis  dignitate  pendet, 

don  thought  himself  touched,  "  cui  si  non  exors  quaodiiin  et 

because  about  six  hundred  and  "  ab  omnibus    eminens    detur 

nine  in  liis  diocese.      [Jiarlow,  "  potestas,  tot  in  ecclesiis  effi- 

ib.  p.  33.]  "  cientur  schismata  quot  sacer- 

s  "  Ecclesia  salus  in  sunnni  "  dotes."[Adv.Lucifer. p.295.] 

T  4 


280  The  Church  Ilistori;  book  x. 

•A.  1).  1603.  *'  examine  children,  and,  after  examination,  by  im- 
j^jimes^  "  position  of  liands  (the  Jewish  ceremony  of  bless- 
"  ing)  to  bless  and  pray  over  them ;  and  partly  to 
"  try  whether  they  had  been  baptized  in  the  right 
"  form  or  no.  For  in  former  ages  some  baptized  (as 
"  they  ought)  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
"  Holy  Ghost ;  some  (as  the  Arians)  in  the  name 
"  of  the  Father  as  the  greater,  and  the  Son  as  the 
"  less ;  some  in  the  name  of  the  Father  by  the  Son, 
"  in  the  Holy  Ghost ;  some  not  in  the  name  of  the 
"  Trinity,  but  only  in  the  death  of  Christ.  Where- 
"  upon  catholic  bishops  were  constrained  to  examine 
"  them  who  were  baptized  in  remotis,  concerning 
"  their  baptism  :  if  right,  to  confimi  them  ;  if  amiss, 
"  to  instruct  them." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  dissent  from  the  judgment  of 
"  St.  Jerome,  in  his  assertion  that  bishops  are  not 
"  of  divine  ordination." 

Bishop)  of  London. — "  Unless  1  could  prove  my 
"  ordination  lawful  out  of  the  scriptures,  I  would 
"  not  be  a  bishop  four  hours  longer." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  approve  the  calling  and  use  of 
"  bishops  in  the  church,  and  it  is  my  aphorism,  '  No 
"  bishop,  no  king  ;'  nor  intend  I  to  take  confirmation 
"  from  the  bishops,  which  they  have  so  long  enjoyed: 
"  seeing  as  great  reason  that  none  should  confirm 
"  as  that  none  should  preach  without  the  bishop's 
"  license.  But  let  it  be  referred  M^hether  the  word 
"  examination  ought  not  to  be  added  to  the  rubric 
"  in  the  title  of  Conjirniation  in  the  Communion 
"  Book.  And  now,  Dr.  Reynolds,  you  may  pro- 
"  ceed." 

Dr.  Reynolds.  —  "I  protest  I  meant  not  to  gall 
"  any  man,  (though  I  perceive  some  took  personal 


CKMT.  xvH.  of  Britahi.  281 

"  exceptions  at  my  words,)  and  desire  the  imputationA.  d.  1603. 

^  I  James. 

"  of  schism  may  not  be  charged  u])on  me  *.    lo  jiro 

"  ceed  on  the  37th  Article,  wherein  are  these  words, 

"  '  The  bishop  of  Rome   hath  no  authority  in  this 

"  land :'    These    are    not    sufficient,   unless    it   were 

"  added, '  nor  ought  to  have  any.'  " 

His  Majesty — "  Hahemus  jure,  quod  liahemus  ;  and 

"  therefore,  inasmuch  as  it  is  said  he  hath  not,  it  is 

"  plain  enough  that  he  ought  not  to  have." 

Here  passed  some  pleasant  discourse  betwixt  the 

king   and    lords    about    puritans,  till,   returning    to 

seriousness,  there  began  the 

Bishop  of  London. — "  JMay  it  please  your  majesty 

*'  to  remember  the  speech  of  the  French  ambassador, 
"  monsieur  Rosny  ^S  upon  the  view  of  our  solemn 
"  service  and  ceremony,  viz.  '  that  if  the  reformed 
"  churches  in  France  had  kept  the  same  order,  there 
"  would  have  been  thousands  of  protestants  more 
"  than  there  are.'  " 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  It  were  well  if  this  proposition 
"  might  be  added  to  the  Book  of  Articles  :  '  The 
"  intention  of  the  minister  is  not  of  the  essence  of 
"  the  sacrament ;'  the  rather,  because  some  in  Eng- 
"  land  have  preached  it  to  be  essential.  And  here 
"  ao'ain   I   could    desire    that    the    nine    orthodoxal 

o 

"  assertions  concluded  at  Lambeth  may  be  generally 
"  received." 

t     It    seems   the    bishop    of  dently  alludes  to  the  expression 

London,   jealous   that   he   was  of  the  bishop  of  London  above, 

reflected  on,  (as  is  aforesaid,)  p.  276:    "  Schi.smallci    contra 

called    the    doctor    schismatic.  "  cpiscopos     non     sunt     audi- 

[It  seems  no  such  thing,  as  the  "  endi."] 

reader  may  see  by  referring  to  "  [De  Rosny,  the  celebrated 

the  conference,  as  published  at  Sully.] 
length ;  for  Dr.  Reynolds  evi- 


The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1603.  Ilis  Majesty. — "  I  utterly  dislike  the  first  part  of 
'  *'  your  motion,  thinking  it  unfit  to  thrust  into  the 

"  Book  of  Articles  every  position  negative,  which 
"  would  swell  the  book  into  a  volume  as  big  as  the 
"  Bible,  and  confound  the  reader  ^.  Thus  one  INIr. 
*'  Craig  in  Scotland  (with  his  '  I  renounce  and  abhor,' 
"  his  multiplied  detestations  and  abrenunciations)  so 
"  amazed  simple  people,  that,  not  able  to  conceive 
"  all  these  things,  they  fell  back  to  popery,  or 
"  remained  in  their  former  ignorance.  If  bound  to 
"  this  form,  the  confession  of  my  faith  must  be  in 
"  my  table-book,  not  in  my  head. 

"  But  because  you  speak  of  intention,  I  will  apply 
"  it  thus :  if  you  come  hither  with  a  good  intention 
*'  to  be  informed,  the  whole  work  will  sort  to  the 
"  better  effect ;  but  if  your  intention  be  to  go  as 
"  you  came,  whatsoever  shall  be  said,  it  will  prove 
"  the  intention  is  very  material  and  essential  to  the 
"  end  of  this  present  action. 

"As  for  the  nine  assertions  you  speak  of,  I  can- 
"  not  suddenly  answer,  not  knowing  what  those  pro- 
"  positions  of  Lambeth  be." 

Bishop  of  London. — "  JVIay  it  please  your  majesty, 
"  this  was  the  occasion  of  them :  by  reason  of  some 
"  controversies  arising  in  Cambridge  about  certain 
"  points  of  divinity,  my  lord's  grace  assembled  some 
"  divines  of  special  note  to  set  down  their  o])inions, 
"  which  they  drew  into  nine  Assertions,  and  so  sent 
"  them  to  the  university  for  the  appeasing  of  those 
"  quarrels." 

His  Majesty.  — "  When  such  questions  arise 
*'  amongst  scholars,  the  quietest  proceedings  were  to 

X  [Barlow,  ib.  p.  38.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  283 

"  determine  them  in  the  university,  and  not  to  stuff  a.  d.  1603. 

"  the  Book  of  Articles  Avith   all   conclusions  tlieo- '— 

"  logical. 

"  Secondly,  the  better  course  would  be  to  punish 
"  the  broachers  of  false  doctrine,  than  to  multiply 
"  Articles,  which,  if  never  so  many,  cannot  prevent 
'*  the  contrary  opinions  of  men  till  they  be  heard." 

Dean  of  PauVs. — "  May  it  please  your  majesty, 
"  I  am  nearly  concerned  in  this  matter,  by  reason 
"  of  a  controversy  betwixt  me  and  some  other  in 
"  Cambridge,  upon  a  proposition  which  I  there  deli- 
"  vered  ;  namely,  that  whosoever  (though  before 
"  justified)  did  commit  any  grievous  sin,  as  adultery, 
"  murder,  &c.,  do  become  ipso  facto  subject  to  God's 
"  wrath,  and  guilty  of  damnation,  quoad  prcesentem 
"  statumy  until  they  repent.  Yet,  so  that  those  who 
"  are  justified  according  to  the  purpose  of  God's 
"  election,  (though  they  might  fall  into  grievous 
"  sin,  and  thereby  into  the  present  estate  of  dam- 
"  nation,)  never  totally  nor  finally  fall  from  justifi- 
"  cation,  but  are  in  time  renewed  by  God's  spirit 
"  unto  a  lively  faith  and  repentance.  Against  this 
"  doctrine  some  did  oppose,  teaching  that  persons 
"  once  truly  justified,  though  falling  into  grievous 
"  sins,  remained  still  in  the  state  of  justification, 
"  before  they  actually  repented  of  these  sins ;  yea, 
"  and  though  they  never  repented  of  them,  through 
"  forgetfulness  or  sudden  death,  they  nevertheless 
"  were  justified  and  saved." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  dislike  this  doctrine,  there  being 
"  a  necessity  of  conjoining  repentance  and  holiness 
"  of  life  with  true  fiiith ;  and  that  is  hypocrisy,  and 
"  not  justifying  faith,  which  is  severed  from  them. 
"  For  although  predestination  and  election  depend 


284  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A. D.  1603. «  not   on   any  qualities,   actions,   or   works   of  man 

—  ''  which  are  mutable,  but  on  God's  eternal  decree, 

"  yet  such  is  the  necessity  of  repentance  after  known 

"  sins  comn)itted,  that  without  it  no  reconciliation 

"  with  God,  or  remission  of  sins." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  The  Catechism  in  the  Common 
"  Prayer  Book  is  too  brief,  and  that  by  Mr.  Nowell 
"  (late  dean  of  Paul's)  too  long  for  novices  to  learn 
"  by  heart.  I  request,  therefore,  that  one  uniform 
"  Catechism  may  be  made,  and  none  other  generally 
"  received  y." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  think  the  doctor's  request  very 
*'  reasonable,  yet  so  that  the  Catechism  may  be  made 
"  in  the  fewest  and  plainest  affirmative  terms  that 
"  may  be, — not  like  the  many  ignorant  Catechisms 
"  in  Scotland,  set  out  by  every  one  who  was  the 
"  son  of  a  good  man  ;  insomuch  that  wdiat  was 
"  Catechism  doctrine  in  one  congregation,  was 
"  scarcely  received  as  orthodox  in  another.  And 
"  herein  I  would  have  two  rules  observed  :  first, 
"  that  curious  and  deep  questions  be  avoided  in  the 
"  fundamental  instruction  of  a  people  ;  secondly, 
"  that  there  should  not  be  so  general  a  departure 
"  from  the  papists,  that  every  thing  should  be  ac- 
"  counted  an  error  wdierein  we  agree  with  them." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  Great  is  the  profanation  of  the 
"  sabbath-day,  and  contempt  of  your  majesty's  pro- 
"  clamation,  which  I  earnestly  desire  may  be  re- 
"  formed." 

This  motion  found  an  unanimous  consent. 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  IVIay  your  majesty  be  pleased 
"  that   the  Bible   be  new  translated,  such   as   are 

y  [Barlow,  ib.  p.  43.] 


(U5NT.  XVII,  of  Britain.  285 

"extant  not  answering-  the  original."  And  be  in-A.D.  i6o.^ 

,  1    .       ,1  i.*        I  .  I  James. 

stanced  in  three  particulars  :  


In  the  Or'ujhml.  Ill  Translated. 

Gal.  iv.  25.        cTvaToixf'i.  Bordereth. 

Psalm  cv.  28.     They  were  not  disobedient.        They  were  not 

obedient. 
Psalm  cvi.  30.   Phinehas  executed  judgment.      Phinehas  prayed. 

Bishop  of  London.  —  "  If  every  man's  humour 
'  might  be  followed,  there  would  be  no  end  of 
'  translating.'' 

His  Majesty. — "  I  profess  I  could  never  yet  see  a 
'  Bible  well  translated  in  English ;  but  I  think  that 
'  of  all,  that  of  Geneva  is  the  w^orst.     I  wish  some 

*  special  pains  were  taken  for  an  uniform  trans- 
'  lation ;  which  should  be  done  by  the  best  learned 
'  in  both  universities,  then  reviewed  by  the  bishops, 
'  presented  to  the  privy  council,  lastly  ratified  by 
'  royal  authority  to  be  read  in  the  whole  church, 
'  and  no  other." 

Bishop  of  London. — "But  it  is  fit  that  no  mar- 
'  ginal  notes  should  be  added  thereunto." 

His  Majesty. — "  That  caveat  is  well  put  in ;  for 
'  in  the  Geneva  translation  some  notes  are  partial, 
'  untrue,  seditious,  and  savouring  of  traitorous  con- 
'  ceits  :  as  when,  from  Exodus  1.  19,  disobedience  to 
'  kings  is  allowed  in  a  marginal  note  ;  and,  2  Chron. 
'  XV.  16,  king  Asa  taxed  in  the  note  for  only  depos- 
'  ing  his  mother  for  idolatry,  and  not  killing  her. 

*  To  conclude  this  point,  let  errors  in  matters  of 
'  faith  be  amended,  and  indifferent  things  be  iiiter- 
'  preted,  and  a  gloss  added  unto  them ;  for,  as  Bar- 
'  tolus  de  Regno  saith,  '  Better  a  king  with  some 
'  weakness,  than  still  a  change ;'  so  rather  a  church 


286  The  Church  Hisiory  hook  x. 

A.D.  1603. "  ^vith  some  faults,  than  an  innovation.    And  surely, 

I  James.  .  /.     •• 

"  if  these  were  the  greatest  matters  that  grieved 

"  you,  I  need  jiot  have  been  troubled  with  such 
"  imjiortunate  com])laints." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  IMay  it  please  your  majesty  that 
"  unlawful  and  seditious  books  be  suppressed ;  such 
"  as  Ficlerus,  a  papist,  de  jure  magistratus  in  sud- 
'*  ditos  ^'t  applied  against  the  late  queen  for  the 
"  pope  ^" 

Bishop  of  London. — "  There  is  no  such  licentious 
"  divulging  of  those  books ;  and  none  have  liberty, 
*'  by  authority,  to  buy  them,  except  such  as  Dr. 
"  Reynolds,  who  was  supposed  would  confute  them. 
"  And  if  such  books  come  into  the  realm  by  secret 
"  conveyances,  perfect  notice  cannot  be  had  of  their 
"  im})ortation.  Besides,  Ficlerus  was  a  great  dis- 
"  ciplinarian  ;  whereby  it  appears  what  advantage 
*'  that  sort  gave  unto  the  papists,  who,  mutatis  per- 
"  S07iis,  apply  their  own  arguments  against  princes 
"  of  their  religion  ;  though,  for  my  part,  I  detest 
"  both  the  author  and  ap])lier  alike." 

The  Lord  Cecil. — "  Indeed  the  unlimited  liberty 
"  of  dispersing  popish  and  seditious  pamphlets  in 
"  Paul's  Churchyard,  and  both  the  universities,  hath 
"  done  much  mischief ;  but  especially  one  called 
"  Speculum  Tragicuin.'^ 

His  Majesty. — "  That  is  a  dangerous  book  indeed." 

Lord  H.  Howard. — "  Both  for  matter  and  inten- 
"  tion." 

Lord  Chancellor.  — "  Of  such  books,  some  are 


2   [Johan.  Baptista  Fickler-  8vo.    See  Cat.  Biblioth.  Tigur. 

us    de   jure    magistratuuni    in  V.  261,  ed.  1809.    i2mo.] 
subditos  et  officio  subditorum  »  [Barlow,  ib.  p.  48.] 

erga magistratus.  Ingolst.1578, 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Br  Haw.  287 


"Latin,  some  are  English;  but  the  last  dispersed  a.  n.  I6o.^ 

,  I  James. 

"  do  most  harm." — 

Secrctarij  Cecil. — "  But  my  lord  of  London,  and 
"  no  man  else,  hath  done  what  he  could  to  suj^press 
"  them." 

His  Majesty. — "  Dr.  Reynolds,  you  are  a  better 
"  colleg-e-man  than  a  statesman,  if  meaning  to  tax 
"  the  bishop  of  London  for  suffering  those  books 
"  between  the  secular  priests  and  Jesuits  to  be  pub- 
"  lished,  which  he  did  by  warrant  from  the  council, 
"  to  nourish  a  schism  betwixt  them." 

Lord  Cecil. — "  Such  books  were  tolerated,  because 
"  by  them  the  title  of  Spain  was  confuted." 

Lord  Treasurer. — "  And  because  therein  it  ap- 
"  pears,  by  the  testimony  of  the  priests  themselves, 
"  that  no  papists  are  put  to  death  for  conscience 
"  only,  but  for  treason." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  Indeed  I  meant  not  such  books 
"  as  were  printed  in  England,  but  only  such  as  came 
"  from  beyond  the  seas  ^.  And  now,  to  proceed  to 
"  the  second  general  point,  concerning  the  planting 
"  of  learned  ministers,  I  desire  they  be  in  every 
"  parish  «." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  have  consulted  with  my  bishops 

b   [Barlow,  ib.  p.  51.]  "be   content   to  walk   in   the 

c   ["  It  is  come  to  that  pass  "  churchyard  till  sermon-time, 

"  now,"  said  the  bishop,  "  that  "  rather  than  to  be  present  at 

"  some  sort  of  men  thought  it  "  public    prayer."     This   irre- 

"  the  only  duty  required  of  a  verential    practice    among    the 

"  minister  to   sjiend  the  time  nonconformists  was  carried  to 

"  in  speaking  out  of  a  pulpit,  great  lengths,  with   a  view  to 

"  sometimes    (God   wot)    very  bring  the  Common  Prayer  into 

"  undiscreetly  and  unlearned-  disrepute.       It    is    frequently 

"  ly  ;  and   this   with   so  great  mentioned   in  the  writings   of 

"  injury  and  prejudice  to  the  the  puritans  of  that  time,  as  a 

"  celebration  of  divine  service,  matter  of  commendation  rather 

"  that    some    ministers  would  than  otherwise.] 


288  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1603. "  about  it,  whom  I  have   found  willing  and  readv 

I  James.  ^  •  ^  1  •  •       •  .7 

"  iierein  ;  but,  as  siioifn  evacuatio  is  pcriciUosa,  so 

"  siihita  mrdntio  :  it  cannot  presently  be  performed, 
"  the  universities  not  affording  them ;  and  yet  they 
"  afford  moe  learned  men  than  the  realm  doth 
"  maintenance,  Mhich  must  be  first  provided.  In 
"  the  mean  time,  ignorant  ministers,  if  young,  are 
"  to  be  removed,  if  there  be  no  hope  of  amendment ; 
'*  if  old,  their  death  must  be  expected,  because  Jeru- 
"  sal  em  cannot  be  built  up  in  a  day." 

Bishop  of  Winchesfe)'. — "  Lay  patrons  most  cause 
"  the  insufficiency  of  the  clergy,  presenting  mean 
"  clerks  to  their  cures,  the  law  admitting  of  such 
"  sufficiency ;  and  if  the  bishop  refuseth  them,  pre- 
"  sently  a  Q/iare  impedit  is  sent  out  against  him." 

Bishop  of  London.  —  "  Because  this,  I  see,  is  a 
'*  time  of  moving  petitions,  may  I  humbly  present 
"  two  or  three  to  your  majesty :  first,  that  there 
"  may  be  amongst  us  a  praying  ministry ;  it  being 
"  now  come  to  pass,  that  men  think  it  is  the  only 
"  duty  of  ministers  to  spend  their  time  in  the  pulpit. 
"  I  confess,  in  a  church  newly  to  be  planted,  preach - 
"  ing  is  most  necessary  ;  not  so  in  one  long  esta- 
"  blished,  that  prayer  should  be  neglected*^." 

His  Majesty.  —  "I  like  your  motion  exceeding 
"  well,  and  dislike  the  hypocrisy  of  our  time,  who 
"  place  all  their  religion  in  the  ear;  whilst  prayer, 
"  so  requisite  and  acceptable  if  duly  performed,  is 
"  accounted  and  used  as  the  least  part  of  religion." 

Bishop  of  London. — "  My  second  motion  is,  that 
*'  until  learned  men  may  be  planted  in  every  con- 
"  gregation,  godly  homilies  may  be  read  therein." 

^  This  he  spiike  kneeling. 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  ^«9 


His  Majesti/. — "  I  approve  your  motion,  especially  ^^d-^^^^'o.i 

"  where  the  living  is  not  sufficient  for  the  mainte 

"  nance  of  a  learned  preacher.  Also,  where  there 
"  be  multitudes  of  sermons,  there  I  would  have 
"  homilies  read  divers  times." 

Here  the  king  asked  the  assent  of  the  plaintiffs, 
and  they  confessed  it. 

"  A  preaching  ministry  is  best ;  but  where  it  may 
"  not  be  had,  godly  prayers  and  exhortations  do 
"  much  good." 

Lord  Chancellor  «. — "  Livings  rather  want  learned 
"  men,  than  learned  men  livings ;  many  in  the  uni- 
"  versities  pining  for  want  of  places.  I  wish,  there- 
"  fore,  some  may  have  single  coats,  [one  living,] 
"  before  others  have  doublets,  [pluralities.]  And 
"  this  method  I  have  observed  in  bestowing  the 
'*  king's  benefices." 

Bishop  of  London. — •'  I  commend  your  honourable 
"  care  that  way ;  but  a  doublet  is  necessary  in  cold 
"  weather." 

Lord  Chancellor. — "  I  dislike  not  the  liberty  of 
"  our  church  in  granting  to  one  man  two  benefices, 
"  but  speak  out  of  mine  own  purpose  and  practice, 
"  grounded  on  the  aforesaid  reason." 

Bishop  of  London.  —  "My  last  motion  is,  that 
*'  pulpits  may  not  be  made  pasquils,  wherein  every 
"  discontented  felloM'  may  traduce  his  superiors." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  accept  what  you  offer,  for  the 
"  i^ulpit  is  no  place  of  personal  reproof.  Let  them 
"  complain  to  me,  if  injured." 

Bishop  of  London. — "  If  your  majesty  shall  leave 
"  yourself    open   to    admit   of   all   complaints,   your 

c   Esjerton,  lord  Ellesmere. 
i<'UI-I.Iilt,   VOL.  V.  iJ 


290  The  Church  History  book  x. 

^iJame°.^"  ^'^^^"^^'^   ^^^'^   "^^^^^  ^6   quiet,   nor   your  under- 
—  "  officers    regarded,  whom    every  delinquent,  when 

"  censured,  will  threaten  to  complain  of." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  mean  they  shall  complain  to 
"  me  by  degrees:  first  to  the  ordinary,  from  him  to 
"  the  archbishop,  from  him  to  the  lords  of  the  coun- 
"  cil  ;  and  if  in  all  these  no  remedy  be  found,  then 
*'  to  myself." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  I  come  now  to  subscription  \  as 
"  a  great  impeachment  to  a  learned  ministry,  and 
"  therefore  entreat  it  may  not  be  exacted  as  here- 
*'  tofore ;  for  which  many  good  men  are  kept  out, 
"  though  otherwise  willing  to  subscribe  to  the  sta- 
"  tutes  of  the  realm,  articles  of  religion,  and  the 
"  king's  supremacy.  The  reason  of  their  backward- 
"  ness  to  subscribe  is,  because  the  Common  Prayer 
"  enjoineth  the  Apocrypha  books  to  be  read  in  the 
'*  church,  although  some  chapters  therein  contain 
"  manifest  errors  repugnant  to  scripture.  For  in- 
"  stance,  (Ecclus.  xlviii.  10,)  Elias  in  person  is  said 
"  to  come  before  Christ ;  contrary  to  what  is  in  the 
"  New  Testament  &  of  Elias  in  resemblance,  that  is, 
"  John  the  Baptist." 

Bishop  of  London.  — "  Most  of  the  objections 
*'  against  those  books  are  the  old  cavils  of  the  Jews, 
"  renewed  by  St.  Jerome,  who  first  called  them 
"  Apocrypha  ^ ;  which  opinion,  upon  Rufinus  his 
*'  challenge,  he,  after  a  sort,  disclaimed." 


f  [Barlow,  ib.  p.  58.]      This  casion  to  urge  it. 

concerned   the   fourth    general  S  Matt.  xi.  14  ;  Luke  i.  17. 

head,     viz.     the     Communion  ''    [Praef.   in   lib.    Regum  et 

Book,  as  he  first  propounded  in  Prov.  Salom,    Hooker,  E.  P. 

it  ;   however,  here  he  took  oc-  v.  20,  §.  8.      Ford  in  Art.  VI.] 


CENT,  XVII.  of  Britain.  291 

Bishop  of  Winchester. — "  Indeed  St.  Jerome  saith,  a.d.  i6o,^. 

"  Canonici  sunt  ad  infm'mandos  moi'es,  non  ad  con- —- 

"  frmandam  fidem^ 

His  Majesty. — "  To  take  an  even  order '  betwixt 
"  both,  I  would  not  have  all  canonical  books  read  in 
"  the  church,  [unless  there  were  one  to  interpret,] 
"  nor  any  chapter  out  of  the  Apocrypha  wherein  any 
*'  error  is  contained ;  wherefore  let  Dr.  Reynolds 
"  note  those  chapters  in  the  Apocrypha  books 
"  wherein  those  offences  are,  and  bring  them  to  the 
"  archbishop  of  Canterbury  against  Wednesday  next. 
"  And  now,  doctor,  proceed." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — *'  The  next  scruple  against  sub- 
"  scription  is,  because  it  is  twice  set  down  in  the 
"  Common  Prayer  Book,  '  Jesus  said  to  his  dis- 
"  ciples  ;'  when,  by  the  text  in  the  original,  it  is 
"  plain  that  he  spake  to  the  Pharisees." 

His  Majesty. — "  Let  the  word  '  disciples'  be  omit- 
"  ted,  and  the  words  'Jesus  said'  be  printed  in  a 
"  different  letter." 

Mr.  Knewstub. — "  I  take  exceptions  at  the  cross 
"  in  baptism,  whereat  the  weak  brethren  are  offended, 
"  contrary  to  the  counsel  of  the  apostle,  Rom.  xiv. 
"  2  Cor.  viii.  J" 

His  Majesty. — '■^Distingue  tempora^et  concordabunt 
"  scripturcB.  Great  the  difference  betwixt  those 
"  times  and  ours :  then,  a  church  not  fully  settled ; 
"  now,  ours  long  established.     How  long  will  such 


'  Viz.  in  the  dominical  gos-  gatories  in  baptism,  because  he 

pels.  spake  so   perplexedly  that  his 

J   [Barlow,  ib.  p  65.]     Here  meaning  is  not  to  be  collected 

we    omit    JNIr.    Knewstub    his  therein, 
exception  against  the  interro- 

U  2 


292  The  Church  History  hook  x. 

A.  D.  1603. "  brethren  be  weak  ?  Are  not  forty-five  years  sufR- 
_!_!!!!!!^"  cient  for  them  to  grow  strong  in?  Besides,  who 
"  pretends  this  weakness  ?  We  require  not  snb- 
"  scriptions  of  laics  and  idiots,  but  of  preachers 
"  and  ministers,  who  are  not  still,  I  trow,  to  be  fed 
"  with  milk,  being  enabled  to  feed  others.  Some 
"  of  them  are  strong  enough,  if  not  headstrong; 
"  conceiving  themselves  able  enough  to  teach  him 
"  who  last  spake  for  them,  and  all  the  bishops  in 
"  the  land." 

Mr.  Kncwstuh. — "  It  is  questionable  whether  the 
"  church  hath  power  to  institute  an  outward  signi- 
"  ficant  sign." 

Bishop  of  London. — "  The  cross  in  baptism  is  not 
"  used  otherwise  than  a  ceremony." 

Bishop  of  Winchester. — "  Kneeling,  lifting  u\)  of 
"  the  hands,  knocking  of  the  breast,  are  significant 
"  ceremonies,  and  these  may  lawfully  be  used." 

Dean  of  the  Chapel. — "  The  Rabbins  write  that 
"  the  Jews  added  both  signs  and  words  at  the  insti- 
"  tution  of  the  Passover ;  viz.  when  they  ate  sour 
"  herbs,  they  said,  '  Take  and  eat  these  in  remem- 
"  brance,'  &c, ;  when  they  drank  wine,  they  said, 
"  '  Drink  this  in  remembrance,'  &c.  Upon  which 
"  addition  and  tradition,  our  Saviour  instituted  the 
"  sacrament  of  his  last  Supper  ;  thereby  approving  a 
"  church  may  institute  and  retain  a  sign  significant." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  am  exceeding  well  satisfied  in 
"  this  point,  but  would  be  acquainted  about  the 
"  antiquity  of  the  use  of  the  cross." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  It  hath  been  used  ever  since 
"  the  apostles'  time  ;  but  the  question  is,  how  ancient 
"  the  use  thereof  hath  been  in  baptism." 


CKNT.  XVII.  of  Br'itain.  393 

Dean  of  Westminster. — "It  a])pcars  out  of  Ter- a.d.  1603. 

,,.  Vn  •  ^     r\    •  1  •  T      •        ■  James. 

"  tiillian,  Cyprian,  and  Urigen,  that  it  was  used  in 

"  immortali  lavacro  ^" 

Bishop  of  Winchester. — "  In  Constantine's  time 
"  it  was  used  in  baptism." 

His  Majesty. — "  If  so,  I  see  no  reason  but  that  we 
"  may  continue  it," 

Mr.  Knewstub. — "  Put  the  case  the  church  hath 
"  power  to  add  significant  signs,  it  may  not  add 
"  them  where  Christ  hath  ah-eady  ordained  them  ; 
''  which  is  as  derogatory  to  Christ's  institution  as  if 
"  one  should  add  to  the  great  seal  of  England." 

His  Majesty. — "  The  case  is  not  alike,  seeing  the 
"  sacrament  is  fully  finished  before  any  mention  of 
"  the  cross  is  made  therein." 

Mr.  Knewstub.  — "  If  the  church  hath  such  a 
*'  power,  the  greatest  scruple  is,  how  far  the  ordi- 
"  nance  of  the  church  bindeth,  without  impeaching 
"  Christian  liberty." 

His  Majesty, — "  I  will  not  argue  that  point  with 
*'  you,  but  answer  as  kings  in  parliament,  Le  roy 
"  s'avisera.  This  is  like  Mr.  John  Black,  a  beard- 
"  less  boy,  who  told  me  the  last  conference  in  Scot- 
"  land  ^  that  he  would  hold  conformity  with  his 
*'  majesty  in  matters  of  doctrine,  but  every  man 
"  for  ceremonies  was  to  be  left  to  his  own  liberty. 
"  But  I  will  have  none  of  that ;  I  will  have  one 
"  doctrine,  one  discipline,  one  religion,  in  substance 
"  and  in  ceremony.  Never  speak  more  to  that 
"  point,  how  far  you  are  bound  to  obey." 

Dr.  Reynolds.  — "  Would  that  the  cross  (being 
"  superstitiously  abused  in  popery)  were  abandoned, 

^   [Quoted  at  length  in  Hooker,  E.  P.  v.  65,  §.  8.] 
'  December,  1602. 

u  3 


294  The  Church  History  mook  x. 

A.  1).  1603. "  as  the  brazen  serpent  was  stamped  to  powder  by 
'—  "  Hezekias,  because  abused  to  idolatry." 

His  Majesty. — "  Inasmuch  as  the  cross  was  abused 
"  to  superstition  in  time  of  popery,  it  doth  plainly 
*'  imply  that  it  was  well  used  before.  1  detest  their 
"  courses  who  peremptorily  disallow  of  all  things 
"  which  have  been  abused  in  popery,  and  know  not 
"  how  to  answer  the  objections  of  the  papists  when 
"  they  charge  us  with  novelties,  but  by  telling  them 
"  we  retain  the  primitive  use  of  things,  and  only 
"  forsake  their  novel  corruptions.  Secondly,  no 
"  resemblance  betwixt  the  brazen  serpent  (a  mate- 
"  rial,  visible  thing)  and  the  sign  of  the  cross,  made 
"  in  the  air.  Thirdly,  papists,  as  I  am  informed, 
"  did  never  ascribe  any  spiritual  grace  to  the  cross 
"  in  baptism.  Lastly,  material  crosses,  to  which 
"  people  fell  down  in  time  of  popery,  (as  the  idola- 
'*  trous  Jews  to  the  brazen  serpent,)  are  already 
"  demolished,  as  you  desire." 

Mr.  Knewstub. — "  I  take  exception  at  the  wearing 
*'  of  the  surplice,  a  kind  of  garment  used  by  the 
"  priests  of  Isis  '." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  did  not  think,  till  of  late,  it 
"  had  been  borrowed  from  the  heathen,  because 
"  commonly  called  a  rag  of  jmpery.  Seeing  now 
"  we  border  not  upon  heathens,  neither  are  any  of 
"  them  conversant  with  or  commorant  amongst  us, 
"  thereby  to  be  confirmed  in  paganism, — I  see  no 
"  reason  but,  for  comeliness  sake,  it  may  be  coii- 
"  tinned." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  I  take  exception  at  these  words 
"  in  the  marriage,  '  With  my  body  I  thee  wor- 
"  ship  "'.'  " 

1   [Barlow,  ib.  p.  74.]  "'   [Barlow,  ib.  p.  75.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain,  295 

His  Majesty. — "I  was  made  believe  the  plinise  a.d.  i6o.v 

"  imported  no  less  than  divine  adoration,  but  find  it '— 

"  an  usual  English  term,  as  when  we  say,  '  A  gen- 
"  tleman  of  worship ;'  and  it  agreeth  with  the  scrip- 
*'  tures,  (jiving  honour  to  the  wife.  As  for  you,  Dr. 
'*  Reynolds,  many  men  speak  of  Robin  Hood,  who 
"  never  shot  in  his  bow.  If  you  had  a  good  wife 
"  yourself,  you  would  think  all  worship  and  honour 
"  you  could  do  her  were  well  bestowed  on  her  "." 

Dean  of  Sarum. — '*  Some  take  exception  at  the 
"  ring  in  marriage." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  I  approve  it  well  enough." 
His  Majesty. — "  I  was  married  with  a  ring,  and 
*'  think  others  scarce  well  married  without  it." 

Dr.  Reynolds.  — "  Some  take  exceptions  at  the 
"  Churching  of  Women,  by  the  name  of  purifica- 
♦'  tion." 

His  Majesty.  —  "I  allow  it  very  well :  women, 
"  being  loth  of  themselves  to  come  to  church,  I 
"  like  this  or  any  other  occasion  to  draw  them 
*'  thither." 

Dr.  Reynolds.  —  "  My  last  exception  is  against 
"  committing  ecclesiastical  censures  to  lay-chancel- 
*'  lors  ;  the  rather,  because  it  was  ordered,  anno 
"  1571,  that  lay-chancellors,  in  matters  of  correc- 
*'  tion,  and,  anno  [1584  and]  1589,  in  matters  of 
"  instance,  should  not  excommunicate  any,  but  be 
•^  done  only  by  them  who  had  power  of  the  keys ; 
*'  though  the  contrary  is  commonly  practised  °." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  have  conferred  with  my  bishops 
*'  about  this  point,  and  such  order  shall   be  taken 

"  This  the  king  spake  smiling.  o   [Barlow,  ib   p  77.] 

u  4 


296  The  Church  Hist  on/  book  x. 

A.i).  1603. «  therein  as  is  convenient.     Mean  time,  so  on  to 

I  James.  '-' 

■ "  some  other  matter." 

Dr.  Retjnolds. — "  I  desire  that,  according  to  cer- 
"  tain  provincial  constitutions,  the  clergy  may  have 
"  meetings  every  three  weeks  p. 

i.  "  First,  in  rural  deaneries,  therein  to  have  pro- 
*'  phesying,  as  archbishop  Grindall  and  other  bishops 
"  desired  of  her  late  majesty. 

ii.  "  That  such  things  as  could  not  be  resolved 
"  on  there,  might  be  referred  to  the  archdeacon's 
"  visitations. 

iii.  "  And  so  to  the  episcopal  synod,  [where  the 
"  bishop  with  his  presbytery]  shall  determine  such 
"  points  before  not  decided." 

His  Majesty. — "  If  you  aim  at  a  Scottish  presby- 
"'  tery,  it  agreeth  as  well  with  monarchy  as  God  and 
"  the  devil.  Then  Jack,  and  Tom,  and  Will,  and 
"  Dick,  shall  meet  and  censure  me  and  my  council. 
"  Therefore  I  reiterate  my  former  speech,  Le  roy  s'avi- 
"  sera.  Stay,  I  pray,  for  one  seven  years,  before  you 
"  demand  ;  and  then,  if  you  find  me  grow  pursy  and 
"  fat,  I  may  perchance  hearken  unto  you,  for  that 
"  government  will  keep  me  in  breath,  and  give  me 
"  work  enough.  I  shall  speak  of  one  matter  more, 
"  somewhat  out  of  order,  but  it  skilleth  not.  Dr. 
"  Reynolds,  you  have  often  spoken  for  my  suprem- 
"  acy,  and  it  is  well ;  but  know  you  any,  here  or 
"  elsewhere,  who  like  of  the  present  government 
"  ecclesiastical,  and  dislike  my  supremacy  ?" 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  I  know  none." 

His  Majesty. — "  Why,  then,  I  will  tell  you  a  tale. 

P   [Barlow,  ib.  p.  78.] 


c;ent.  XVII.  of'Brituin.  297 

After  that  the  religion  restored  by  king  Edward  a.  d.  1603. 
the  Sixth  was  soon  overthrown  by  queen  Mary  '*'"*^ ' 
here  in  England,  we  in  Scotland  felt  the  effect 
of  it ;  for  thereu})on  ]Mr.  Knox  writes  to  the  queen 
regent,  a  virtuous  and  moderate  lady,  telling  her 
that  she  was  the  supreme  head  of  the  church  ; 
and  charged  her,  as  she  would  answer  it  at  God's 
tribunal,  to  take  care  of  Christ  his  evangil,  in 
suppressing  the  popish  prelates,  who  withstood 
the  same.  But  how  long,  trow  you,  did  this  con- 
tinue? Even  till,  by  her  authority,  the  popish 
bishops  were  repressed  ;  and  Knox,  with  his  ad- 
herents, being  brought  in,  made  strong  enough. 
Then  began  they  to  make  small  account  of  her 
supremacy;  when,  according  to  that  more  light 
wherewith  they  were  illuminated,  they  made  a 
farther  reformation  of  religion.  How  they  used 
the  poor  lady,  my  mother,  is  not  unknown ;  and 
how  they  dealt  with  me  in  my  minority.  I  thus 
apply  it.  My  lords,  the  bishops,  I  may  thank  you 
that  these  men  plead  thus  for  my  supremacy  ^. 
They  think  they  cannot  make  their  party  good 
against  you,  but  by  appealing  unto  it ;  but  if  once 
you  were  out,  and  they  in,  I  know  what  w'ould 
become  of  my  supremacy ;  for  no  bishop,  no  king. 
I  have  learned  of  what  cut  they  have  been,  who, 
preaching  before  me  since  my  coming  into  Eng- 
land, passed  over  with  silence  my  being  supreme 
governor  in  causes  ecclesiastical.  Well,  doctor, 
have  you  any  thing  else  to  say  ?" 
Dr.  Reynolds. — "  No  more,  if  it  please  your  ma- 
jesty." 

'1  This  he  said  putting  his  hand  to  his  hat. 


Tlie  Church  HUUmf  book  x. 

A.  D.  1603.     His  Majesty. — "  If  this  be  all  your  party  hath  to 
1^  "  say,  I  will  make  them  conform  themselves,  or  else 

"  I  will   harry  them   out   of  the  land,   or    else    do 

"  worse." 

Thus  ended  the  second  daifs  Conference ;  and  the 
third  began  on  the  Wednesday  foUoicing^  many 
knights,  civilians,  and  doctors  of  the  law  being 
admitted  thereunto,  because  the  High  Commission  was 
the  principal  matter  in  debate. 

His  Majesty.  —  "I  understand  that  the  parties 
"  named  in  the  high  commission  are  too  many  and 
*'  too  mean,  and  the  matters  they  deal  with  base, 
"  such  as  ordinaries  at  home  in  their  courts  might 
*'  censure  '"." 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury. — "  It  is  requisite  their 
"  number  should  be  many ;  otherwise  I  should  be 
"  forced  oftentimes  to  sit  alone,  if,  in  the  absence 
"  of  the  lords  of  the  council,  bishops  and  judges  at 
"  law,  some  deans  and  doctors,  were  not  put  into 
"  that  commission,  whose  attendance  I  might  com- 
"  mand  with  the  more  authority.  I  have  often 
"  complained  of  the  meanness  of  matters  handled 
*'  therein,  but  cannot  remedy  it ;  for  though  the 
"  offence  be  small,  that  the  ordinary  may,  the 
*'  offender  ofttimes  is  so  great  and  contumacious, 
"  that  the  ordinary  dare  not  punish  him,  and  so  is 
"  forced  to  crave  help  at  the  high  commission." 

A  nameless  Lord  ^ "  The  proceedings  in  that 

"  court  are  like  the  Spanish  inquisition,  wherein 
"  men  are  urged  to  subscribe  more  than  law  re- 
"  quireth,    and    by   the    oath    e^v   officio    forced    to 

>•   [Barlow,  ib.  j).  85.] 

*  I  dare  not  guess  him,  for  fear  of  failing. 


CENT.  XVII.  uf  Britain.  299 

"accuse  themselves;  beinn^  examined  upon  twenty  a.  i>.  1603. 

.   ,        '      •  James. 

"  or   twenty-four    Articles    on    a    sucUlen,    without 

"  deliberation,  and  for  the  most  part  against  them- 
"  selves." 

In  proof  hereof  he  produced  a  letter  of  an  ancient 
honourable  counsellor,  anno  1584,  verifying  this  usage 
to  two  ministers  in  Cambridgeshire. 

Archbishop  of  Canterlmry.  —  "  Your  lordship  is 
"  deceived  in  the  manner  of  proceeding ;  for,  if  the 
"  Article  touch  the  party  for  life,  liberty,  or  scandal, 
"  he  may  refiise  to  answer.  I  can  say  nothing  to 
"  the  particulars  of  the  letter,  because  twenty  years 
"  since,  yet  doubt  not  but  at  leisure  to  give  your 
"  lordship  satisfaction." 

Lord  Chancellor. — "  There  is  necessity  and  use  of 
"  the  oath  CcV  officio,  in  divers  courts  and  causes  *." 

His  Majesty. — "  Indeed  civil  proceedings  only 
*'  punish  facts  ;  but  it  is  requisite  that  fame  and 
"  scandals  be  looked  unto  in  courts  ecclesiastical, 
"  and  yet  great  moderation  is  to  be  used  therein. 

i.  "  In  gravioribiis  critnimbus. 

ii.  "  In  such  whereof  there  is  a  public  fame, 
"  caused  by  the  inordinate  demeanour  of  the  of- 
"  fender." 

And  here  he  soundly  described  the  oath  e^v  officio, 
for  the  ground  thereof,  the  wisdom  of  the  law 
therein,  the  manner  of  proceeding  thereby,  and  pro- 
fitable effect  from  the  same. 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury. — "  Undoubtedly  your 
"  majesty  speaks  by  the  special  assistance  of  God's 
"  Spirit." 

t  [Barlow,  ib.  p.  92.]     Here     ized  into  the  speech  of  several 
we  omit  a  discourse  about  sub-     persons, 
scription,  because  not  method- 


300  The  Church  Hi.siury  book  x. 

A.  D.  1603.      Bishop  of  London. — "  I  protest  my  heart  melteth 

L  "  with  joy,  that  Ahiiighty  God,  of  his  singular  mercy, 

"  hath  given  us  such  a  king,  as,  since  Christ's  time, 
"  the  like  hath  not  been  »." 

Then  passed  there  much  discourse  between  the 
king,  the  bishops,  and  the  lords,  about  the  quality 
of  the  jDersons,  and  causes  in  the  high  commission  ; 
rectifying  excommunications  in  matters  of  less  mo- 
ment ;  punishing  recusants ;  providing  divines  for 
Ireland,  Wales,  and  the  northern  borders.  After- 
wards the  four  preachers  were  called  in,  and  such 
alterations  in  the  liturgy  \vere  read  unto  them  which 
the  bishops,  by  the  king's  advice,  had  made ;  and  to 
which,  by  their  silence,  they  seemed  to  consent. 

His  Majesty. — "  I  see  the  exceptions  against  the 
"  Communion  Book  are  matters  of  weakness ;  there- 
"  fore,  if  the  persons  reluctant  be  discreet,  they  will 
"  be  won  betimes,  and  by  good  persuasions ;  if  in- 
"  discreet,  better  they  w^ere  removed,  for  by  their 
"  factions  many  are  driven  to  be  papists.  From 
"  you,  Dr.  Reynolds,  and  your  associates,  I  expect 
"  obedience  and  humility,  (the  marks  of  honest  and 
"  good  men,)  and  that  you  would  persuade  others 
"  abroad  by  your  examjjle." 

Dr.  Reynolds. — "  We  here  do  promise  to  perform 
"  all  duties  to  bishops,  as  reverend  fathers,  and  to 
"  join  with  them  against  the  common  adversary  for 
"  the  quiet  of  the  church." 

Mr.  Chaderton. — "  I  request  the  wearing  of  the 
"  surplice  and  the  cross  in  baptism  may  not  be  urged 
"  on  some  godly  ministers  in  Lancashire,  fearing,  if 
"  forced  unto   them,  many  won  by  their  preaching 

^  This  he  spake  011  his  knee. 


CENT.  XVII.  (yf' Britain.  801 

"  of  the  gospel  M'ill  revolt  to  popery;  and  I  parti-A.  p.  ir.o.^ 
"  cularly  instance  in  the  vicar  of  liatsdale  ''."  — '~ — !l 

ArcJdmhop  of  Canterbury . — "  You  could  not  have 
"  light  upon  a  worse ;  for  not  many  years  ago,  as 
"  my  lord  chancellor  knows  y,  it  was  proved  before 
"  me  that  by  his  unreverent  usage  of  the  eucharist 
"  (dealing  the  bread  out  of  a  basket,  every  man 
"  putting  in  his  hand  and  taking  out  a  piece)  he 
"  made  many  loathe  the  communion,  and  refuse  to 
"  come  to  church." 

His  Majesty. — "  It  is  not  my  purpose,  and  I  dare 
"  say  it  is  not  the  bishops'  intent,  presently  and  out 
"  of  hand  to  enforce  these  things,  without  fatherly 
"  admonitions,  conferences,  and  persuasions,  pre- 
"  mised  ;  but  I  wish  it  were  examined  whether  such 
"  Lancashire  ministers,  by  their  pains  and  iireaching, 
"  have  converted  any  from  popery,  and  withal  be 
"  men  of  honest  life  and  quiet  conversation.  If  so, 
"  let  letters  be  written  to  the  bishop  of  Chester  ^^ 
"  (who  is  a  grave  and  good  man)  to  that  purpose, 
*'  that  some  favour  may  be  afforded  unto  them ;  and 
"  let  the  lord  archbishop  write  the  letters." 

Bishop  of  London. — "  If  this  be  granted,  the  co})y 
"  of  these  letters  will  fly  all  over  England,  and  then 
"  all  nonconformists  will  make  the  like  request ;  and 
"  so  no  fruit  follow  of  this  conference,  but  things 
"  will  be  worse  than  they  were  before.  I  desire, 
"  therefore,  a  time  may  be  limited,  within  the  com- 
"  pass  whereof  they  shall  conform." 

His  Majesty. — "  I  assent  thereunto ;  and  let  the 
"  bishop  of  the  diocese  set  down  the  time." 

X  [Barlow,  ib.  p.  99.]      This     averred  the  same. 
he  spake  kneeling.  ^  fhis  was  l\ichard  Vaughan, 

y  Who,  being  there  present,     afterwards  bishop  of  London. 


302 


The  Chnrcli  History 


BOOK    X. 


A.  D.  1603 
I  .Tames. 


Mr.  Knewstuh.  —  "I  request  the  like  ftivour  of 
"  forbearance  to  some  honest  ministers  in  Suffolk ; 
"■  for  it  will  make  much  against  their  credits  in  the 
"  country  to  be  now  forced  to  the  surplice,  and  cross 
"  in  baptism  *." 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury  [was  answering-.] 

His  Majesty. — "  Nay,  sir,  let  me  alone  to  answer 
"  him.  Sir,  you  shew  yourself  an  uncharitable  man. 
"  We  have  here  taken  pains,  and,  in  the  end,  have 
"  concluded  on  unity  and  uniformity ;  and  you,  for- 
"  sooth,  must  prefer  the  credits  of  a  few  private 
"  men  before  the  peace  of  the  church.  This  is  just 
"  the  Scotch  argument,  when  any  thing  was  con- 
"  eluded  which  disliked  some  humours.  Let  them 
"  either  conform  themselves  shortly,  or  they  shall 
"  hear  of  it." 

Lord  Cecil. — "The  indecency  of  ambuling  com- 
"  munions  is  very  offensive,  and  hath  driven  many 
■•'  from  the  church." 

Bishop  of  London. — "And,  Mr.  Chaderton,  I  could 
"  tell  you  of  sitting  communions  in  Emanuel  Col- 
"  lege." 

Mr.  Chaderton. — "  It  is  so,  because  of  the  seats  so 
"  placed  as  they  be ;  and  yet  we  have  some  kneeling 
"  also  in  our  chapel." 

His  Majesty. — "  No  more  hereof  for  the  present, 
"  seeing  they  have  jointly  promised  hereafter  to  be 
"  quiet  and  obedient." 

Whereat  he  rose  uj)  to  depart  into  an  inner 
chamber. 

Bishop  of  London. — "God's  goodness  be  blessed 
"  for  your  majesty,  and  give  health  and  prosperity  to 


*  Here  he  fell  down  on  his  knees. 


CENT.  xvir.  of  Britahi.  303 

"your   highness,   your    gracious    queen,   tlie    young-^i^  if-o.'.- 
"  prince,  and  all  the  royal  issue." 

Thus  ended  the  three  days'  conference,  wherein  The  gene- 
liow  discreetly  the  king  carried  himself,  posterity  ot  the  con- 
(out  of  the  reach  of  flattery)  is  the  most  competent  ^^'■^"*'^"' 
judge,  such  matters  being  most  truly  discerned  at 
distance  •*.  It  is  generally  said,  that  herein  he  went 
above  himself;  that  the  bishop  of  London  appeared 
even  with  himself;  and  Dr.  Reynolds  fell  much 
beneath  himself.  Others  observed  that  archbishop 
Whitgift  spake  most  gravely ;  Bancroft,  when  out 
of  passion,  most  politicly ;  Bilson  most  learnedly ; 
— and,  of  the  divines,  IMr.  Reynolds  most  largely; 
Knewstub  most  affectionately  ;  Chaderton  most 
sparingly.  In  this  scene,  only  Dr.  Sparks  was  Kcocpou 
-npoa-cd-Kov,  making  use  of  his  hearing,  not  speech ; 
converted,  it  seems,  to  the  truth  of  what  was 
spoken,  and  soon  after  setting  forth  a  treatise  of 
unity  and  uniformity. 

But  the  nonconformists  complained  that  the  king  riie  non- 
sent   for  their  divines,   not   to   have   their  scruples  |:||'^/j|J™,'^^^^^^ 
satisfied,  but  his  pleasure  propounded  ;  not  that  he 


1^  [Sir  John  Harrington  men-  letters,  as  well  as  from  John- 

tions    this    conference    in    his  son's  History,  it  should  seem 

Nug82    Antiquie,    I.   i8i,    (ed.  that  the  puritan    divines   who 

1804,)  but  gives  no  very  com-  assisted  at  the  conference  were 

mendable  account  of  the  king's  satisfied  with  its  results.      See 

oratory  ;    who,    it    seems,    was  Johnson,  p.  380.     The  king's 

not  always  very  select   in  his  own    opinion    of   his    achieve- 

language.     See   the  last  Sect,  ments  on  this  occasion  may  be 

ofthisreign.   Dr.  James  INIoun-  seen    in    his    letters,    Strype's 

tague,  in  a  letter  of  the  same  Whitgift,   App.    p.  239.      See 

date   to    his   mother,   has   also  also  the  new  edition  of  Dodd's 

given    a   brief  account    of   it.  Church  Histor)%  with  the  notes, 

WinAA'ood,   n.  13.       From  his  a'oI.  W .  p.  21.] 


304  Thv  Church  Histoiy  book  x. 

A.  D.  1603.  might  know  \vliat  they  could  say,  but  they  what  he 

L  would    do   in  the   matter.     Besides,  no  wonder  if 

Dr.  Reynolds  a  little  lost  himself,  whose  eyes  were 
partly  dazzled  with  the  light  of  the  king's  majesty, 
partly  daunted  with  the  heat  of  his  displeasure. 
Others  complain  that  this  conference  is  partially  set 
forth  only  by  Dr.  Barlow,  dean  of  Chester,  their 
professed  adversary,  to  the  great  disadvantage  of 
their  divines.  And  when  the  Israelites  go  down  to 
the  Philistines  to  whet  all  their  iron  tools,  no  won- 
der if  they  set  a  sharp  edge  on  their  own,  and  a 
blunt  one  on  their  enemies'  weapons. 
The  pro-  This  Conference  produced  some  alterations  in  the 
conference!  liturgy.  Womeu's  baptizing  of  infants,  formerly 
frequent,  hereafter  forbidden ;  in  the  rubric  of  ab- 
solution, remission  of  sins  inserted ;  confirmation 
termed  also  an  examination  of  children ;  and  some 
w^ords  altered  in  the  dominical  gospels,  with  a  reso- 
lution for  a  ncAV  translation  of  the  Bible.  But 
whereas  it  was  hitherto  disputable  whether  the 
north  (where  he  long  lived)  or  the  south  (whither 
he  lately  came)  should  prevail  most,  on  the  king's 
judgment,  in  church-government,  this  doubt  was 
now  clearly  decided.  Henceforward  many  cripples 
in  conformity  were  cured  of  their  former  halting 
therein  ;  and  such  who  knew  not  their  own,  till 
they  knew  the  king's  mind  in  this  matter,  for  the 
future  quietly  digested  the  ceremonies  of  the 
church. 
The  copy  We  havo  formerly  made  mention  of  the  Millema- 
lenaiy  peti- nus  Petition  for  Reformation,  which  about  this  time 
*'""■  was  solemnly  presented  to  his  majesty,  and  which 

here  we  have  truly  exemplified  : 


CENT.  XVII.  nf  Britohi.  '305 

"  The  Jmmhle  Petition  of  the  Ministers  of  the  Church  ^-^-^^o^- 

"  of  Enfjland,    desiring    Reformation    of  certnin  — — 

"  Ceremotiies  and  Abuses  of  the  Church  ^. 

"  To  the  most  Christian  and  excellent  prince,  our 
"  gracious  and  dread  sovereign  James,  by  the  grace 
"  of  God,  &c.,  we,  the  ministers  of  the  church  of 
"  England  that  desire  reformation,  wish  a  long, 
"  prosperous,  and  happy  reign  over  us  in  this  life, 
"  and  in  the  next  everlasting  salvation. 

"  Most  gracious  and  dread  sovereign,  seeing  it 
"  hath  pleased  the  Divine  Majesty,  to  the  great 
"  comfort  of  all  good  Christians,  to  advance  your 
"  highness,  according  to  your  just  title,  to  the  peace- 
"  able  government  of  this  church  and  commonwealth 
"  of  England  :  We,  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  in 
"  this  land,  neither  as  factious  men  affecting  a  popu- 
"  lar  parity  in  the  church,  nor  as  schismatics  aiming 
"  at  the  dissolution  of  the  state  ecclesiastical,  but  as 
"  the  faithful  servants  of  Christ  and  loyal  subjects 
"  to  your  majesty,  desiring  and  longing  for  the  re- 
"  dress  of  divers  abuses  of  the  church,  could  do  no 
"  less,  in  our  obedience  to  God,  service  to  your 
*'  majesty,  love  to  his  church,  than  acquaint  your 
"  princely  majesty  with  our  particular  griefs  ;  for,  as 
"  your  princely  pen  writeth,  '  The  king,  as  a  good 
"  physician,  must  first  know  what  peccant  humours 
"  his  patient  naturally  is  most  subject  unto,  before 
"  he  can  begin  his  cure''.'     And,  although  divers  of 


f  [Presented  4th  April,  1 604.  tish  IMuseuin,  p.  27.] 
DatedJan.14, 1603.     Kennet's  i!    [BA2.  AflPON,  j).  159.     In 

IMS.  of  this  reign,  in  the  Bri-  king  James's  Works,  ed.  1616.] 

FULLER,  VOL.  v.  X 


306  Tlie  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1603. "us  that  sue  for  reformation  have  formerly,  in 
^^^^'  "  respect  of  the  times,  subscribed  to  the  book,  (some 
"  upon  protestation,  some  upon  expositions  given 
"  them,  some  with  condition,)  rather  than  the  church 
*'  should  have  been  deprived  of  their  labour  and 
"  ministry ;  yet  now  we,  to  the  number  of  moe  than 
"  a  thousand  ®  of  your  majesty's  subjects  and  minis- 
"  ters,  all  groaning  as  under  a  common  burden  of 
"  human  rites  and  ceremonies,  do  with  one  joint 
"  consent  humble  ourselves  at  your  majesty's  feet, 
"  to  be  eased  and  relieved  in  this  behalf.  Our 
"  humble  suit  then  unto  your  majesty  is,  that  these 
"  offences  following,  some  may  be  removed,  some 
"  amended,  some  qualified. 

I.  "  In  the  church  service. — That  the  cross  in  bap- 
"  tism,  interrogatories  ministered  to  infants,  con- 
"  firmation,  as  superfluous  may  be  taken  away. 
"  Baptism  not  to  be  ministered  by  women,  and  so 
"  explained.  The  cap  and  surplice  not  urged.  That 
"  examination  may  go  before  the  communion ;  that 
"  it  be  ministered  with  a  sermon.  That  divers  terms 
"  of  priests,  and  absolution,  and  some  other  used, 
"  with  the  ring  in  marriage,  and  other  such-like  in 
''  the  book,  may  be  corrected.  The  longsomeness 
"  of  service  abridged.  Church  songs  and  music 
"  moderated  to  better  edification.  That  the  Lord's 
"  day  be  not  profaned.  The  rest  upon  holy  days 
"  not  so  strictly  urged.  That  there  may  be  an 
"  uniformity  of  doctrine  prescribed.  No  popish 
"  opinion  to  be  any  more  taught  or  defended.     No 


e   [How  men  with  so  much     notorious   a  falsehood  as  this, 
profession  can  be  guilty  of  so     is  indeed  surprising.] 


CENT.  xvti.  of  Britain.  307 

"  ministers  charfircfl  to  teach  their  people  to  bow  atA.  d.  if^o^. 

mi  1  •       1  •  '  Jiiincs. 

"  the  name  of  Jesus.     That  the  canonical  scri[)tures 

"  only  be  read  in  the  church. 

II.  "  Concerning  church  ministers.  —  That  none 
"  hereafter  be  admitted  into  the  ministry  but  able 
"  and  sufficient  men,  and  those  to  preach  diligently, 
"  and  especially  upon  the  Lord's  day.  That  such 
"  as  be  already  entered,  and  cannot  preach,  may 
"  either  be  removed,  and  some  charitable  course 
"  taken  with  them  for  their  relief;  or  else  to  be 
"  forced,  according  to  the  value  of  their  livings,  to 
"  maintain  preachers.  That  non-residency  be  not 
"  permitted.  That  king  Edward's  statute,  for  the 
"  lawfulness  of  ministers'  marriage,  be  revived.  That 
"  ministers  be  not  urged  to  subscribe,  but,  according 
"  to  the  law,  to  the  Articles  of  Religion  and  the 
*'  king's  supremacy  only. 

III.  "  For  church  livings  and  maintenance. — That 
"  bishops  leave  their  commendams ;  some  holding 
*'  prebends,  some  parsonages,  some  vicarages,  with 
"  their  bishoprics.  That  double-beneficed  men  be 
"  not  suffered  to  hold,  some  two,  some  three  bene- 
"  fices  with  cure ;  and  some  two,  three,  or  four 
"  dignities  besides.  That  impropriations,  annexed  to 
"  bishoprics  and  colleges,  be  demised  only  to  the 
"  preachers'  incumbents  for  the  old  rent.  That  the 
"  impropriations  of  laymen's  fee  may  be  charged 
"  with  a  sixth  or  seventh  part  of  the  worth,  to  the 
"  maintenance  of  the  preaching  minister. 

IV.  "  For  church  discipline. — That  the  discipline 
"  and  excommunication  may  be  administered  accord- 
"  ing  to  Christ's  own  institution ;  or  at  the  least, 
"  that  enormities  may  be  redressed  :  as  namely,  that 
"  excommunication  come  not  forth  under  the  name 

x2 


308  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1603.*'  of  lay  persons,  chancellors,  officials,  &c.    Tliat  men 

1  James.  ^  '-ten 

"  be    not    excommunicated   for   trifles   and   twelve- 

"  penny  matters.  That  none  be  excommunicated 
♦'  without  consent  of  his  pastor.  That  the  officers 
"  be  not  suffered  to  extort  unreasonable  fees.  That 
"  none,  having  jurisdiction  or  registers'  places,  put 
"  out  the  same  to  farm.  Tliat  divei*s  popish  canons 
"  (as  for  restraint  of  marriag-e  at  certain  times)  be 
"  reversed.  That  the  longsomeness  of  suits  in  eccle- 
"  siastical  courts  (which  hang  sometime  two,  three, 
"  four,  five,  six,  or  seven  years)  may  be  restrained. 
"  That  the  oath  e^v  officio,  whereby  men  are  forced 
"  to  accuse  themselves,  be  more  sparingly  used. 
"  That  licenses  for  marriage,  without  banns  asked, 
"  be  more  cautiously  granted. 

"  These,  with  such  other  abuses  yet  remaining  and 
"  practised  in  the  church  of  England,  we  are  able  to 
"  shew  not  to  be  agreeable  to  the  scriptures,  if  it 
"  shall  please  your  highness  farther  to  hear  us,  or 
"  more  at  large  by  writing  to  be  informed,  or  by 
"  conference  among  the  learned  to  be  resolved.  And 
"  yet  we  doubt  not  l)ut  that,  without  any  farther 
"  process,  your  majesty  (of  whose  Christian  judgment 
"  we  have  received  so  good  a  taste  already)  is  able 
"  of  yourself  to  judge  of  the  equity  of  this  cause. 
"  God,  we  trust,  hath  appointed  your  highness  our 
"  physician  to  heal  these  diseases.  And  we  say, 
*'  with  Mordecai  to  Hester,  Who  knoweth  whether 
"  you  are  come  to  the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  ? 
"  Thus  your  majesty  shall  do  that  which  we  are 
"  persuaded  shall  be  acceptable  to  God,  honour- 
"  able  to  your  majesty  in  all  succeeding  ages,  pro- 
"  fitable  to  his  church,  (Mhich  shall  be  thereby  in- 
"  creased,)   comfortable    to    your    ministers,   (which 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  309 

"shall  be  no   more  suspended,  silenced,  disgraced, a. d.  1603. 

"  imprisoned  for  men's  traditions,)   and   prejudicial L. 

"  to  none,  but  to  those  that  seek  their  own  quiet, 
*'  credit,  and  i)rofit  in  the  world.  Thus,  with  all 
"  dutiful  submission,  referring  ourselves  to  your  ma- 
"jesty's  pleasure  for  your  gracious  answer,  as  God 
"  shall  direct  you,  we  most  humbly  recommend  your 
"  highness  to  the  Divine  Majesty ;  whom  w^e  be- 
"  seech,  for  Christ  his  sake,  to  dispose  your  royal 
*'  heart  to  do  herein  what  shall  be  to  his  glory,  the 
"  good  of  his  church,  and  your  endless  comfort. 

"  Your  JNIajesty's  most  humble  Subjects, 

"  The  Ministers  of  the  Gospel, 

"  that  desire  not  a  disorderly  innovation,  but  a  due 
"  and  godly  reformation  ^." 

25.  This  calm  and  still,  but  deep  petition  &,  being  The  issue 

of  this  peti- 
tion. 

f  [Printed  (410,  1603)  as  it  "  fectionis, imperfectionemnul- 

was    presented   on   the  4th  of  "  lam    tolerare   possumus    aut 

April,  in  the  following  answer  "  in     corpore     aut    in     meni- 

of  the   university  of  Oxford  :  "  bris  ecclesiae  :  tunc  diabolum 

"  The   Aiisivere    of  the    Vice-  "  uos  tumefacere  superbia  su- 

"  Cka7tcel/uur,  the DoctorSyboth  "  perbia  et  hypocrisi  seducere, 

"  the   Proctors,  and  other  the  "  moneamur."         Calvin    adv. 

"  Heads    of    Houses     in    the  Anabapt.  art.  2.      At   Oxford : 

"  University  of  Oxford,  {agree-  Printed     by     Joseph    Barnes, 

*'  able,  tindoubtedly,  to  the  joint  Printer  to  the  University.  1603. 

*'  and   uniform    opinion   of  all  4to.] 

"  the  Deans  and  Chapters,  and  E  [These  words  probably  are 

"  oil  other  the  learned  and  obe-  an  allusion  to  the  Reply  of  the 

"  dient  Clergy  of  the  Church  of  University    of    Oxford,  which 

'*  England,)  to  the  humble  Pe-  thus  characterises  that  petition 

"  tition  of  the  Ministers  of  the  in  its  Epist.  Ded.  prefixed   to 

"  Church  of  England,  desiring  its  answer:   "  Which   we  may 

"  Reformation  of  certain  Cere-  "  well  resemble  unto  still- run- 

"  monies    and    Abuses    of  the  ''  ning  streams,  which  are  deep- 

"  Church.      '  Beware   of    the  "  est  there  where  they  seem  to 

"  concision.'        Phil.     iii.    2."  "  be  most  cahn."] 
*'  Cum  sub  specie  studii  per- 

X  3 


310  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1603.  (as  is  aforesaid)  presented  to  the  king,  it  was  given 
^^^'^'  out  that  his  majesty  lent  it  a  favourable  ear ;  that 
some  great  ones  about  him  gave  it  a  consenting 
entertainment ;  that  some  potent  strangers  (I  under- 
stand of  the  Scottish  nation)  had  undertaken  the 
conduct  and  managing  thereof.  Whether  indeed  it 
was  so,  God  knows,  or  whether  these  things  were 
made  to  make  the  people  ;  the  van  pretending  a 
victory,  that  the  rear  might  follow  the  more  com- 
fortably. Sure  it  is  this  petition  ran  the  gauntlet/ 
throughout  all  the  prelatical  party,  every  one  giving 
it  a  lash,  some  with  their  pens,  moe  with  their 
tongues ;  and  the  dumb  ministers,  as  they  term 
them,  found  their  speech  most  vocal  against  it.  The 
universities  (and  justly)  found  themselves  much  ag- 
grieved, that  the  petitioners  should  proportion  a 
seventh  part  only  out  of  an  impropriation  in  a  lay- 
man's fee ;  whilst  those  belonging  to  colleges  and 
cathedrals  should  be  demised  to  the  vicars  at  the 
old  rent,  without  fine,  without  improvement :  where- 
as scholars,  being  children  of  the  prophets,  counted 
themselves  most  proper  for  church  revenues  ;  and 
this  motion,  if  eiFected,  would  cut  off  more  than  the 
nipples  of  the  breasts  of  both  universities,  in  point 
of  maintenance. 

Univeisi-        ^g^    Cambridge  ^^  therefore  beo^an,  and  passed  a 

ties  justly  .  .  ^  .         .  °  ^  . 

nettled  '  grace  in  their  congregation  ',  that  whosoever  in  their 
university  should,  by  word  or  writing,  oppose  the 
received  doctrine  and  discipline  of  England,  or  any 
part  thereof,  should  i'pso  facto  be  suspended  from 
their  former  and  excluded  from  all  future  degrees^. 

^   [L'Estrange's  Alliance  of     tery,  p.  367.3 
Divine  Ortices,  &c.  p.  23.    Hey-  i   [9th  June,  1603.] 

lyn's    History  of  the    Presby-  ^    [This  placet  is  published 


thereat. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  liritahi.  311 

Oxford  followed,  (recom|>ensing  the  slowness  of  her  a.  d.  1604. 

pace  with   the  firmness  of  her  footing,)  making  a '_i^^_^ 

strong  and  sharj)  confutation  of  the  petition.  But 
indeed  king  James  made  the  most  real  refutation 
thereof,  not  resenting  it  (whatsoever  is  pretended) 
according  to  the  desires  and  hopes  (not  to  say  the 
reports)  of  such  who  presented  it ;  and  after  his 
majesty  had  discountenanced  it,  some  hotspurs  of 
the  opposite  party  began  to  maintain  (many  copies 
thereof  being  scattered  into  vulgar  hands)  that  now 
the  property  thereof  was  altered  from  a  petition  into 
a  libel,  and  such  papers  defamatory  of  the  present 
government  punishable  by  the  statute  primo  Eliza- 
bcthre. 

Under  favour,  I  conceive  this  petition,  by  us  Other 
lately  exemplified,  the  proper  millenary  petition.  ™e\iUonsf 
Otherwise  I  observe  that  millenary  petition  is  vo<v 
{Bquivoca,  and  attributed  to  all  petitions  with  nume- 
rous and  indefinite  subscriptions,  which  were  started 
this  year  concerning  church  reformation.  Many 
there  were  of  this  kind,  moving  for  more  or  less 
alteration,  as  the  promoters  of  them  stood  affected. 
For  all  men's  desires  will  then  be  of  the  same  size, 
when  their  bodies  shall  be  of  the  same  stature.  Of 
these,  one  most  remarkable  required  a  subscription 
in  manner  as  followeth  : 

"  We,  whose  names  are  underwritten,  do  agree  to 
"  make  our  humble  petition  to  the  king's  majesty, 
"  that  the  present  state  of  the  church  may  be 
*'  farther  reformed  in  all  things  needful,  according 
"  to  the  rule  of  God's  holy  word,  and  agreeable  to 


in   the   original,  in    the   Rej)ly  of   the    University  of  Oxford, 
Epist.  Dec!.] 

X  4 


^12  The  Church  History  kook  x. 

A.  D.  .604."  the   example  of  other  reformed  churches,  which 
— ^!^  "  have  restored  both  the  doctrine  and  discipline,  as 

"  it  was  delivered  by  our  Saviour  Christ  and  his 

"  holy  apostles." 

Two  things  are  remarkable  therein :  hrst,  that 
this  was  no  present  petition,  but  a  preparative  there- 
unto, which  in  due  time  might  have  proved  one,  if 
meeting  with  proportionable  encouragement  ;  se- 
condly, that  it  went  farther  than  the  former,  as  not 
being  for  the  KaOmpelv,  but  for  the  aipeiv — not  for  the 
paring,  pruning,  and  purging,  but  for  the  extirpating 
and  abolishing  of  bishops,  and  conforming  church 
government  to  foreign  presbytery.  Whether  the 
subscribers  to  this  petition  were,  for  the  main,  a 
recruit  of  new  persons,  or  a  resumption  of  those 
who  underwrit  the  former,  I  dare  not  define.  Pro- 
bably many,  sensible  that  before  they  Avere  petition- 
bound,  enlarged  themselves  now  in  their  additional 
desires ;  for  such  who  ask  no  more  than  what  they 
would  have,  commonly  receive  less  than  what  they 
ask,  seeing  petitions  of  this  nature  are  seldom 
granted  in  full  latitude,  without  some  abatement. 
They  allowed,  therefore,  some  over-measure  in  their 
requests,  that,  the  surplusage  being  defalked,  the 
remainder  might  in  some  manner  give  them  satis- 
faction ^ 

1    [In  the  Reply  of  the  Uni-  "  resolution    of    his    religious 

versity  of  Oxford  it  is  stated,  "  heart.      But    these    men,  as 

"  Howheit  as  long  as  it  passed  "  they  are  impatient  of  delay, 

"  in  private  (sc.  this  ])etition)  "  or   else   to  gain  credit  with 

"  under  the  name  of  a  particu-  "the    people,   on    whom   they 

"  lar  motion  made  to  his  most  "  greatly  do    rely,    soon    after 

"  excellent    majesty,    we    laid  "  send  forth  into  all  quarters 

"  our  hands  upon  our  mouths,  "  of  the  realm  store  of  these 

"  and  with  due  reverence  ex-  "  pretended   petitions,   accom- 

"  pected    in    silence    the  wise  "  pauied  with  such  lewd,  false, 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  313 

Sure  I  am  the  prelatical  ])arty  C()mi)lained  that,  toA.i).  1604. 

.  .  T .  ,  ,  2  James. 

swell  a  number,  the  nonconformists  aid  not  choose, 

but  scrape  subscribers;  not  to  speak  or  the  ubi(iui-,ie!iiiii},ni. 
tariness  of  some  hands,  the  same  being  always  ||f'I^!,',ij"f 
present  at  all  petitions.  Indeed  to  the  first  only 
ministers  were  admitted,  but  to  the  latter  brood  of 
petitions  no  hand  Avhich  had  five  fingers  was  refused. 
Insomuch  that  master  George  (since  lord)  Goring, 
who  then  knew  little  and  cared  less  for  church 
government,  (as  unable  to  govern  himself,  being 
then,  fifty  years  since,  rather  a  youth  than  a  man — 
a  boy  than  a  youth,)  set  his  hand  thereunto,  in  the 
right,  I  believe,  of  his  mother,  a  good  lady  much 
addicted  to  that  party ;  and  king  James  would  in 
merriment  make  sport  with  him,  to  know  what 
reasons  moved  him  at  that  age  to  this  subscrijition  "\ 
But  enough  of  these  petitioners :  perchance  we  shall 
hear  more  of  them  the  next  parliament. 

"  and  absurd  suggestions,  as  if  "  .  .  .  .  which    undue    and    dis- 

"  our  noble  king  had  lent  their  "  honest     practice    having    so 

"  motion  a  favourable  ear,  and  "  changed  the  quality  of  their 

"  given  it  some   kind  of  con-  "  petition,     whether     it     hath 

"  senting  entertainment  ;  as  if  "  brought    the    contrivers   and 

"  in  all  this  they  had  done  no-  "  preferers    of    it   within    the 

"  thing  whereunto  tliey  were  "  compass  of  that  stat.  i  Eliz. 

"  not  animated  and  encouraged  "  and  made  them  liable  to  the 

"  by   some    of    special    credit  "  penalties    of    the    same,   we 

"  with  his  highness  ;  as  if  some  "  take  not  upon  us  to  deter- 

"  busy-headed    strangers    had  "  mine.      Howbeit    hereof   we 

"  undertaken  their  cause  ....  "  could   not  but   take  notice : 

"  This  course  R.  H.  did  make  "  that,bytheir  impunity,  divers 

"  us  think,  that  now  they  had  "  others   very   lewdly   affected 

"  altered   the    nature    of   that  "  have,  in   divers  parts  of  the 

"  foresaid  schedule,  and  of  an  "  kingdom,  presumed  to  trou- 

•*  :>ntitled    petition    to    H.  M.  "  ble  H.  M.  and  tax  the  state 

"  had  made  it  a  covert  kind  of  "  with  the  like  clamorous  libels 

"  libel;' whereby   securely,   as  "and     defamatory     supplica- 

"  they  thought,  they  might  de-  "  tions."     Epist.  Ded.] 

"  prave  and   slander  not  only  m    [See   the    Reply    of    the 

"  the   Communion   Book,   but  University   of   Oxford,    Epist. 

"  the  whole  estate  of  the  church  Ded.] 


SECT.   11. 


TO 

M  A  T  T  II  E  W      G  I  L  L  Y  E, 

ESQ. 


Solomon  saith.  And  there  is  a  friend  that  is  nearer  than  a 
brother  ».  Note,  though  I  have  read  many  writers  on  the 
text,  your  'practice  is  the  best  comment,  which  hath  most 
truly  expounded  it  unto  me.  Accept  this,  therefore,  as  the 
return  of  the  thanks  of  your  respectful  frimd  ^. 


A.  D. 1604. 
1  James. 

The  death 
of  arch- 
bishop 
^V'hitgift. 


AUSELESS  jealousies  attend  old  age, 
as  apjiears  by  archbishop  Whitgift,  who 
ended  his  life,  according  to  his  own 
desire,  that  he  might  not  live  to  see 
the  parliament;  being  more  scared  than 
hurt,  as  fearing  some  strange  opposition  therein,  and 


^  Prov.  xviii.  24. 

b  [An  equally  honest  and 
hearty  commendation  of  this 
])atron's  goodness  is  given  hy 
Fuller  in  his  Pisgah  Slight  of 


Palestine  :  "  Malthceo  Gilly 
"  vere  generoso  ct  {quod  tri- 
"  tnnpho)  parochiano  meo  Wal- 
"  thamensi.  Fratribus  meis 
"  pasloribtis  plures    ogni    con- 


CENT.  XVII.        The  Church  History  of  Britain.  315 

an  assault  of  unconformists  on  clmrcli  discipline,  a.  d.  1604. 
fiercer  than  his  age-feebled  body  should  be  able  to 
resist  ^.  Born  he  was  of  ancient  parentage,  at  Great 
Grimsby  in  Lincolnshire  ^,  bred  in  Cambridge,  ad- 
mitted in  Queen's  College  %  removed  scholar  to 
Pembroke  Hall,  (where  Mr.  Bradford  was  his  tutor,) 
translated  fellow  to  Peter  House  *,  returned  master 
to  Pembroke  s  thence  advanced  master  of  Trinity 
College  ^  ;  successively  parson  of  Teversham ',  ])re- 
bend  of  Ely*",  dean  of  Lincoln^,  bishop  of  Worces- 
ter J^^;  where  the  queen  forgave  him  his  first-fruits 
— a  rare  gift  for  her,  who  was  so  good  an  housewife 
of  her  revenues.  Yea,  she  constantly  called  him 
her  little  black  husband ;  which  favour  nothing 
elated  his  gravity,  carrying  himself  as  one  uncon- 
cerned in  all  worldly  honour.  He  survived  the 
queen  not  a  full  year,  getting  his  bane  by  going  in  a 
cold  morning  by  barge  to  Fulliam,  there  to  consult 
with  the  bishops  about  managing  their  matters  in 
the  ensuing  parliament ;  and  no  wonder  if  those  few 
sparks  of  natural  heat  were  quickly  quenched  with 


'^  tinganl   tales."    II.  96.     In  "  the  best  while  he  lived,  and 

the   Worthies,    also,   he    men-  "  heard  of  God  for  his  decease; 

tions  him  again  as   possessing  "  most  earnestly  desiring,  not 

the    manor    of    the    parish    of  "  many    days    before    he    was 

Little  Oakley,  near  Harwich,  "  stroken,  that  he  might   not 

(I.  494,)    which    it    seems    he  "  yet   live  to   see   this   parlia- 

held  by  right  of  his  wife ;  and  "  ment,  as  near  as  it  was."] 
yet,  strange  to  say,  no  trace  of         d   [A.  D.  1530.] 
him  or  his  family  occurs  either  e   [A.  D.  1549.] 

in  the  topographical  or  genea-  f   [A.  D.  1555-] 

logical  histories  of  the  county  g   [April  21,  1567.] 

of  Essex.]  li   [July  4,  1567.] 

*■  See  the  Preface  to  Hamp-  i  [A.  D.  1571.] 
ton  Court  Conference,  [where  ^  [A.  D.  1568.] 
Barlow  says  of  him,  then  re-  '    [A.  D.  1573-] 

cently  dead,  "  A  man  happy  in  ni  [A.  D.  1576.] 

"  his  life  and  death,  loved  of 


316 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


IMr. 
Pryiine, 

ceiisiiriiig 
M'hitfifift, 
censured. 


A.D.  1604.  a  small  cold  in  him,  who  was  then  above  seventy- 

2  James.  tt       t     i       /•    i 

two  years  ot  age  ".     He  died  of  the  palsy,  one  of  the 

worthiest  men  that  ever  the  English  hierarchy  did 
enjoy  «. 

2.  But  a  modern  writer,  in  his  voluminous  book  p 
against  the  practices  of  English  prelates,  bitterly 
inveigheth  against  him,  whom  he  termeth  a  pontifi- 
cal (meaneth  he  paganish,  or  popish  ?)  bishop,  and 
chargeth  him  with  many  misdemeanours.  Give  me 
leave  a  little,  without  bitterness,  both  to  pass  my 
censure  on  his  book,  and  make  this  archbishop  his 
just  defence  against  his  calumniation.  First,  in 
general,  behold  the  complexion  of  his  whole  book, 
and  it  is  black  and  swarthy  in  the  uncharitable  sub- 
ject and  title  thereof:  "An  Historical  Collection  of 
"  the  several  execrable  Treasons,  Conspiracies,  Re- 
"  bellions,  Seditions,  State  Schisms,  Contumacies, 
"  A nti -monarchical  Practices,  and  Oppressions  of 
"  English  Prelates,"  &c.  Thus  he  weeds  men's  lives, 
and  makes  use  only,  to  their  disgrace,  of  their  in- 


»[Strype'smitgift,p.577.] 
"  [According  to  sir  George 
Paul,  "  his  majesty,  being  much 
"  troubled  with  the  report  of 
"  the  archbishop's  sickness, 
"  came  upon  the  Tuesday  fol- 
"  lowing  to  visit  and  comfort 
"  him,  with  very  kind  and  gra- 
"  cious  speeches,  saying,  '  that 
"  he  would  beg  him  of  God  in 
"  his  prayer ;  which  if  he  could, 
"  obtain,  he  .should  think  it  one 
"  of  the  greatest  temporal  bless- 
"  ings  that  could  be  given  him 
"  in  this  kingdom.'  The  arch- 
"  bishop  made  offer  to  speak 
"  to  his  majesty  in  Latin  ;  but 
"  neither  his  highness  nor  any 
"  there    present    well    under- 


"  stood  what  he  said,  save  only 
"  that  by  the  last  words,  *  j)ro 
"  ccclesia  Dei,  pro  ecclesia  Dei,' 
"  (which  in  earnest  manner, 
"  with  his  eyes  and  hands  lift 
"  up,  he  oftentimes  iterated,) 
"  his  majesty  conceived  (as  it 
''  pleased  him  afterwards  to 
"  report)  that  he  continued 
"  the  suit  which  sundry  times 
"  before,  and  at  his  last  at- 
"  tendance  on  his  highness,  he 
"  had  earnestly  recommended 
•'  unto  his  royal  and  special 
"  care  in  behalf  of  the  church." 
Life  ofWhitgift,  §.133.] 

P  [The  Antipathy  of  the 
English  Lordly  Prelacy,  &c. 
p.  149.  4to.   1 64 1.] 


CENT,  XVIT. 


of  Britain.  317 


firmities;  meantime  suppressing  many  eminent  ac-A.i).  ir.04. 

tions,  which   his   own   conscience   knows  were  per- 

formed  by  tliem.  What  a  monster  might  be  made 
out  of  the  best  beauties  in  the  world,  if  a  limner 
should  leave  what  is  lovely,  and  only  collect  into 
one  picture  what  he  findcth  amiss  in  them  !  I  know 
there  be  white  teeth  in  the  blackest  blackamoor,  and 
a  black  bill  in  the  whitest  swan.  Worst  men  have 
something  to  be  commended,  best  men  something  in 
them  to  be  condemned  ;  only  to  insist  on  men's/ 
faults,  to  render  them  odious,  is  no  ingenious  em- 
ployment. God,  we  know,  so  useth  his  fan,  that  he 
keepeth  the  corn,  but  driveth  away  the  chaft';  but 
who  is  he  that  winnoweth  so,  as  to  throw  away  the 
good  grain,  and  retain  the  chaff  only  ? 

3.  Besides,  it  containeth  untruths,  or  at  the  best  Hisuntmih 
uncertainties,  M-hich  he  venteth  with  assurance  to" 
posterity.  For  instance,  speaking  of  Walter  Tyrrell  ^, 
the  French  knight,  casually  killing  king  William 
Rufus  in  New  Forest,  with  an  arrow  glancing  from 
a  tree,  he  saith  that  in  all  likelihood  Anselm,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  (our  Whitgift's  predecessor,) 
with  fore-plotted  treason  hired  Tyrrell  to  murder 
the  king  in  this  manner.  Now  to  condemn  the 
memory  of  so  j^ious  and  learned  a  man  as  Anselm 
was,  (though  I  will  not  excuse  him  in  all  things,) 
five  hundred  years  after  the  fact  pretended  on  his 
own  single  bare  surmise,  contrary  to  the  constant 
current  of  all  authors,  no  one  whispering  the  least 
suspicion  thereof — hath,  I  believe,  but  little  of  law 
and  nothing  of  gospel  therein.  Let  the  glancing  of 
Tyrrell's  arrow  mind  men  how  they  bend  thrir  hows 

fi  P.  10. 


318  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1604.^0  shoot  arrows,  even  bitter  wm^ds  ^  at  the  memory  of 

2  James.  '' 

the  deceased,  lest  it  rebound  back,  not  as  his  did  to 

hit  a  stander-by,  but  justly  to  wound  him  who  un- 
justly delivered  it. 

His  slander      4.  But  to  come  to  our  revcreud  Whitffift.     First, 

of  Whit-  .  o  ' 

Kift;  he  charg-eth  him  for  troubling  the  judges  with  his 

contestations  about  prohibitions,  endeavouring  to 
enlarge  his  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction.  This  being 
the  accusation  but  of  a  common  lawyer,  and  that  in 
favour  of  his  own  courts,  I  leave  to  some  doctor  of 
the  civil  or  canon  law,  as  most  proper  to  make 
answer  thereunto  ;  only,  whereas  he  saith  that  Whit- 
gift  did  it  to  the  prejudice  of  the  queen's  preroga- 
tive ^,  surely  she  knew  her  own  privileges  so  well, 
besides  those  of  her  council  to  teach  her,  that  she 
would  never  have  so  favourably  reflected  on  him,  if 
sensible  (wise  princes  having  a  tender  touch  in  that 
point)  that  he  any  way  went  about  to  abridge  her 
royal  authority. 

And  silly         5.  Secondly,  he  taxeth  him  for  his  extraordinary 

taxing  of  ,  *  . 

his  train,  traui  of  abovo  sixty  men-servants ;  though  not  so 
extravagant  a  number,  if  his  person  and  place  be 
considered,  who  were  all  trained  up  to  martial  affairs, 
and  mustered  almost  every  week,  his  stable  being 
well  furnished  with  store  of  great  horses  '.  But  was 
it  a  fault,  in  those  martial  days,  when  the  invasion 
of  a  foreign  foe  was  daily  suspected,  to  fit  his  family 
for  their  own  and  the  kingdom's  defence  ?  Did  not 
Abraham,  that  heavenly  prophet  and  holy  patriarch, 


r  Psalm  Ixiv.  3,  lords  spiritual  as  well  as  tem- 

s   P.  149.  poral  were  obliged  to  maintain 

t  [It  was  not  in  Whitgift's  a  certain  quota  of  men  for  the 

power  to  have  declined  such  a  queen's  service.] 

charge,  had  he  desired  it :   all 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  319 

arm  his  trained  servants  in  his  own  house  ^\  in  his  a.d.  ir.04. 

victorious  expedition   against  the   king  of  Sodom?   -_'""'^"", 

Yea,  if  churchmen  of  an  anti-prelatical  spirit  had 

not  since  tampered  more  dangerously  with  training 

of  servants,  though  none  of  their  own,  both  learning 

and  religion  had  perchance  looked  at  this  day  with 

a  more  cheerful  countenance. 

6.  Whereas  it  intimates  that  this  archbishop  had  ^^^''itgi'Vs 

^  care  of  and 

been  better  employed  in  training  up  scholars  for  the  love  to 
pulpit  than  soldiers  for  the  field,  know  that  as  the^ 
latter  was  performed  the  former  was  not  quitted  by 
him  :  witness  many  worthy  preachers  bred  under  him 
in  Trinity  College,  and  more  elsewhere  relieved  by 
him ;  yea,  his  bounty  was  too  large  to  be  confined 
within  the  narrow  seas — Beza,  Drusius,  and  other 
foreign  protestant  divines  tasting  freely  thereof.  Nor 
w^as  his  liberality  only  a  cistern  for  the  present  age, 
but  a  running  river  from  a  fresh  fountain,  to  water 
posterity  in  that  school  of  Croydon,  which  he  hath 
beautifully  built  and  bountifully  endowed.  JMore 
might  be  said  in  the  vindication  of  this  worthy 
prelate  from  his  reproachful  pen ;  but  I  purposely 
forbear,  the  rather  because  it  is  possible  that  the 
learned  gentleman  since,  upon  a  serious  review  of 
his  own  work,  and  experimental  observation  of  the 
passages  of  this  age,  may  be  more  offended  with  his 
own  writing  herein,  than  others  take  just  exception 
thereat. 

7.  Archbishop  Whitgift  was  buried  at  Croydon,  His  burial, 
JNIarch    27tli  ^ ;    the    earl    of  Worcester   and    lord  0^880,-."^" 
Zouch,  his  pupils,  attending  his  hearse ;  and  bishop 


"  Gen.  xiv.  14. 

X   [Paul's  Life  of  Whitgift,  p.  i  23.] 


320  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1604.  Babingtoii,  liis  pu})il  also,  made  bis  funeral  sermon, 
1l!!!!!!1_  choosing  for  his  text  2  Chron.  xxiv.  15,  16,  and 
parallelino-  the  archbisliop's  life  with  gracions  Je- 
lioida.  Richard  Bancroft,  bishop  of  London,  brought 
up  in  Jesus  College,  succeeded  him  in  the  arch- 
bishopric >  ;  whose  actions,  in  our  ensuing  History, 
will  sufficiently  deliver  his  character,  without  our 
description  thereof. 

A  iieneficiai      g.  Comc  WO  uow  to  the  parliament  assembled  ^ ; 

statute  for 

the  church,  and  auiougst  the  many  acts  which  passed  therein, 
none  more  beneficial  for  the  church  than  that  which 
made  the  king  himself,  and  his  successors,  incapable 
of  any  church  land  to  be  conveyed  unto  them  other- 
wise than  for  three  lives,  or  twenty-one  years.  Indeed 
a  statute  had  formerly  been  made,  (the  13th  of  queen 
Eliz.)  which,  to  prevent  final  alienation  of  church 
land,  did  disable  all  subjects  from  accepting  them  ; 
but  in  that  statute  a  liberty  was  left  unto  the  crown 
to  receive  the  same  ^.  It  was  thought  fit  to  allow 
to  the  crown  this  favourable  exception,  as  to  the 
patron  general  of  the  whole  English  church ;  and  it 
was  but  reason  for  the  sovereign,  who  originally 
gave  all  the  loaf  to  the  church,  on  occasion  to 
resume  a  good  shiver  thereof. 

A  cnnu-w-       9,  g^t  lie  wlio  shuts  ninetv-nine  gates  of  Thebes, 

aiice  hv  the  . 

crowuto     and  leaveth  one  open,  shuts  none  in  effect.     Covet- 

churdi.      ousness  (shall  I  say  an  apt  scholar  to  learn,  or  an 

able  master  to  teach,  or  both  ?)  quickly  found  out  a 

way  to  invade  the  lands  of  the  church,  and  evade 

y   [And  took   possession   of  II.  41.] 
the  see,  Dec.  10,  1604,  and  was         ^   [jgth  March,  1604.] 
confirmed   in   the   presence   of         a  Because  it  was    not    for- 

the   prince   and   all   the    great  bidden  in  the  statute  in  express 

lords  of  state  then  in  and  about  words. 
London.      W^inwood's    Papers, 


CENT.  XVII.  of  BrlUnn.  321 

the  penalty  of  the  law,  which  thus  was  contrived :  a.  d.  1604. 

^  ,  .   ,  2  James. 

some  potent  courtier  hrst  covertly  contracts  with  a 

bishop  (some  whereof,  though  spiritual  in  title,  were 
too  temporal  in  truth,  as  more  minding  their  private 
profit  than  the  public  good  of  the  church)  to  pass 
over  such  a  ])roportion  of  land  to  the  crown.  This 
done,  the  said  courtier  begs  the  land  of  the  queen, 
even  before  her  highness  had  tasted  thereof,  or  the 
lips  of  her  exchequer  ever  touched  the  same;  and 
so  an  estate  thereof  is  settled  on  him  and  his  heirs 
for  ever.  And  thus  Covetousness  came  to  her  desired 
end,  though  forced  to  go  a  longer  journey,  and  fain 
to  fetch  a  farther  compass  about. 

]  0.  For  instance  :  Dr.  Coldwell,  doctor  of  physic  Two  emi- 
and  bishop  of  Salisbury,  gave  his  see  a  very  strong  stances  of 
purge  when  he  consented  to  the  alienation  of  ►^her- JJg^^g^i,,,^ 
borne  manor  from  his  bishopric;   indeed  the  good Jj|J^'^^'"'i"''*' 
old  man  was  shot  between  wind  and  water,  and  his 
consent  was  assaulted  in   a  dangerous  juncture   of 
time  to  give  any  denial ;  for  after  he  was  elected 
bishop  of  Salisbury,  and  after  all  his  church  prefer- 
ments were  disposed  of  to  other  persons,  yet  before 
his  election  was  confirmed   past   a  possibility  of  a 
legal  reversing  thereof,  sir  Walter  Raleigh  is  impor- 
tunate with  him  to  i)ass  Sherborne  to  the  crown, 
and  effected  it,  though  indeed  a  good  ground-rent 
was  reserved  to  the  bishopric.     Presently  sir  Walter 
beggeth  the  same  of  the  queen,  and  obtained  it  ^. 


b   [This  is  not  the  onlj^  in-  the    manor    of    Banwell    from 

stance    of    Raleigh's    rapacity,  this  bishopric,  took  occasion  to 

When  Thomas  Godwin,  bishop  represent    this    marriage    with 

of  Bath   and   Wells,   fell   into  all    the    unfavourable    circum- 

the  queen's  disfavour  for  mar-  stances  possible  to  the  queen, 

rying  a  second  time,  sir  Walter,  and  instantly  pursued  the   bi- 

who  had  long  laboured  to  get  shop    with    letters    and    sharp 

FULLER,  VOL.  V.  Y 


S22 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D.  1604.  Much  after  the  same  manner,  sir  [Henry]  Killegrew 

— !l^-got  the  manor  of  Crediton  (a  bough  almost  as  big 

as  all  the  rest    of  the  body)  from  the  church    of 

Exeter,  by  the  consent  of  Dr.  Babington,  the  bishop 

thereof  ^. 


messages  from  her  majesty,  till 
at  last,  to  make  his  peace  with 
her,  he  was  obliged  to  part 
with  the  manor  of  Wy  velscomb, 
having  held  ont  for  some  time 
to  no  purpose.  See  Wood's 
Ath.  I.  710.  I  am  not  aware 
that  either  of  these  circum- 
stances has  been  noticed  by 
sir  Walter's  panegyrists.  Cold- 
well  had  the  temporalities  of 
his  see  restored  to  him,  Jan.  14, 
1592.  In  Murdin's  State  Pa- 
pers, p.  675,  is  a  letter  from 
Coldwell  to  Henry  Brooke, 
complaining  of  Raleigh's  rapa- 
city, who  was  then  attempting 
to  WTest  from  Salisbury  the 
manors  of  Burton,  Holmes,  and 
Upcorne.  This  letter  is  dated 
loth  April,  1594.] 

c  [With  regard  to  the  sacri- 
legious alienation  of  church 
property  in  the  late  queen  s 
reign,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  bishops  who  consented 
to  such  spoliation,  though  bound 
to  protest  against  it  and  defend 
the  church  against  aggressions 
from  a7iy  quarter,  could  now 
do  little  else  than  submit.  As 
sir  John  Harrington  observes 
on  a  similar  occasion,  "  Puteutes 
"  cum  rogant  jiibenl  ;  and  as 
"  long  as  there  was  not  quid 
"  dabis  nor  hoc  dabis,  but  licec 
"  aujeram,"  they  had  but  one 
alternative, — either  to  desert 
the  church,  or,  by  refusing  sub- 
mission, to  make  matters  worse. 
The  queen  treated  the  church 


and  churchmen  with   as   little 
ceremony  and  reverence  as  she 
did  her  courtiers  and  maids  of 
honour — as  indifferent  of  what 
she     did     as    what    she    said. 
"  Had  these  alienations,"  ob- 
serves   Bentham,    "  been    the 
"  voluntary  acts   of  those   bi- 
"  shops,  the  censure,  it  must 
"  be    owned,   had   been  justly 
"  laid.     But  as  the  law  then 
"  stood,  the  queen  had  it  wholly 
"  in  her  power  to  make  those 
"  exchanges,  and  might,  I  con- 
"  ceive,  have  taken  to  herself, 
"  had  she   so  pleased,  all  the 
"  estates  of  all  the  bishoprics 
"  in   England,  by  way  of  ex- 
"  change,   without  asking  the 
"  consent  of  the  bishops.  These 
"  exchanges,   it    is    confessed, 
"  were  generally  made  to  the 
"  disadvantage  of  the   bishop- 
"  rics ;  but  the  parliament  had 
"  given  the  queen,  in  the  first 
'*  year  of  her  reign,  an  imprece- 
"  dented  and  enormous  power 
"  over  them  ;  and  in  the  exer- 
"  cise  of  that  power,  she  acted 
"  throughout    her    long    reign 
''  with  the  utmost  impartiality; 
"  for  there  \\as  not  a  bishopric 
*'  in  the  kingdom  (except  per- 
"  haps      Bristol,      Gloucester, 
"  Oxford,    and    Peterborough, 
"  which  had  nothing  to  spare) 
"  from  which    the    queen    did 
"  not,  at   one   time   or   other, 
"  when   they  happened   to   be 
"  vacant,  take  to  herself  a  con- 
"  siderable  part,  and,  generally 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britnin.  32i} 


11.  To  prevent  future  wront'  to    the  church   hia.d  1604. 

Ill  •         ^c    2  James. 

that  kind,  it  was  now  enacted,  that  the  crown  itselt^ 

henceforward  should  be  incapable  of  any  such  church  censures 
land  to  be  conveyed  unto  it.  Yet  some  were  S0n"^s[*t„tp_ 
bold  as  to  conceive  this  law  void  in  the  very  makintr 
of  it,  and  that  all  the  obligation  thereof  consisted, 
not  in  the  strength  of  the  law,  but  only  in  the  king's 
and  his  successors'  voluntary  obedience  thereunto  '* ; 
accounting  it  injurious  for  any  prince  in  parliament 
to  tie  his  successors,  who  neither  can  nor  will  be 
concluded  thereby,  farther  than  it  stands  with  their 
own  convenience.  However,  it  was  to  stand  in  force 
till  the  same  })ower  should  be  pleased  to  rescind  it. 
But  others  beheld  this  law,  not  with  a  politic  but 
religious  eye,  conceiving  the  King  of  heaven  and 
the  king  of  England  the  parties  concerned  therein, 
and  accounting  it  sacrilege  for  any  to  alienate  what 
is  given  to  God  in  his  church. 

12.  Thus  was  the  king  graciously  pleased  to  bind  K'^sJame* 
himself  for  the  liberty  of  the  church.     He  knew  full  church 

lover. 

well  all  courtiers'  (and  especially  his  own  country- 
men's) importunity  in  asking,  and  perhaps  was  privy 
to  his  own  impotency  in  denying ;  and  therefore,  by 
this  statute,  he  eased  himself  of  many  troublesome 


"  speaking,  the  best  and  most  "  of    tliat     reign     should     he 

"  valuable  part  of  their  posses-  "blamed    for    suffering    those 

"  sions  ;    giving   them    in    ex-  "  exchanges  to  be  made,  when 

"  change,  as  she  might  legally  "  it  was  out  of  their  power  to 

"  do,  either  the  tenths  of  the  "  prevent  it."     Histor\'  of  Ca- 

"  clergy    or    rectories    inipro-  tliedral  of  Ely,  p.  196.] 
"  priate.     Well  was  it  for  the  ^   [This    act    was    obtained 

*'  succeeding  bishops  that  this  principally  by  the  influence  of 

"  extraordinarv  power    in   the  Bancroft,  at  that  time  president 

"crown  was  restrained  by  an  of  the  convocation.      See  Hey- 

"  act  passed  soon  after!      But  lyn's  Hist,  of  the  Presbyterians, 

"  it  is  hard  that  all  the  bishops  p.  378.] 

Y  2 


324  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A. D.I 604. suitors  ;  for  hereafter  no  wise  man  would  beg  of  the 
^'"*''"   king  what  was  not  in  his  power  to  grant,  and  what, 
if  granted,   could   not  legally  be   conveyed   to   any 
petitioner.     Thus  his  majesty  manifested  his  good- 
will and  affection  to  religion  ;  and  although  this  law 
could   not   finally  preserve   church   lands,  to   make 
them    immortal,    yet    it    prolonged    their    lives    for 
many  years  together. 
The  acts  of      12.  Pass  we  uow  iuto  the  convocation,  to   see 
cation,  why  what  was  doue  there  ^ ;  but  here  the  history  thereof, 
recovered!   ^^   I  ^^7  Say,   is    shot   bctwixt    the  joints   of  the 
armour,  in  the  interval  after  Whitgift's  death   and 
before  Bancroft's  removal  to   Canterbury ;  so  that 
I  can  find  the  original  thereof  neither  in  the  office 
of  the  vicar-general,  nor  in  the  registry  of  London ; 
nor  can  I  recover  it,  as  yet,  from  the  office  of  the 
dean  and  chapter  of  Canterbury,  where  most  pro- 
bably it  is  to  be  had,  the  jurisdiction  belonging  to 
them  in  the  vacancy. 
Manyca-        13.  Take  this  as  the  result  thereof:  a  book  of 

nons  made  mi  it*  i  p   ^-l 

therein,      cauous  was  Compiled,  not  only  bemg  the  sum  or  the 
croft  sitting  qucou's  Articles,  orders  of  her  commissioners,  adver- 

president. 

e  [This  convocation  assem-  was  the  compiling  of  the  book 
bled  upon  the  20th  of  INIarch,  of  canons,  originally  published 
when  the  king's  letter  was  read  in  4to,  1 604,  and  reprinted  in 
to  hasten  a  collection  for  the  Wilkins'  Concil.  IV.  388.  In 
town  of  Geneva,  whose  desire  the  same  work  also  may  be 
was  accordingly  complied  with,  seen  the  commission  of  the 
In  the  second  session,  IMarch  dean  and  chapter  of  Canter- 
23rd,  the  prolocutor  (Dr.  Ravis,  bury  to  the  bishop  of  London, 
dean  of  Christ  Church)  was  empowering  him  to  preside 
presented  by  Dr.  Overall,  whose  in  the  convocation  during  the 
speech  on  the  occasion  is  still  vacancy  of  the  see  of  Canter- 
preserved  among  the  ]\ISS.  of  bury.  See  Atterbury's  Rights, 
Dr.  More,  formerly  bishop  of  &c.Add.pp.66,423,and\Vake's 
Norwich.  But  the  chief  busi-  State  of  the  Church,  pp.616, 
ness  in  which  it  was  occupied  617.] 


CENT.  XVII. 


()f  Britain.  325 


tisements,  canons  of  1571  and  1597,  which  were  in  a.  p.  1604. 

2  James. 


use  before,  but  also  many  more  were  added,  the- 
whole  number  amounting  unto  one  hundred  and 
forty-one.  Some  wise  and  moderate  men  supposed 
so  many  laws  were  too  heavy  a  burden  to  be  long 
borne,  and  that  it  had  been  enough  for  the  episcopal 
party  to  have  triumphed,  not  insulted  over  their 
adversaries  in  so  numerous  impositions  ^  However, 
an  explanation  was  made  in  one  of  the  canons,  of 
the* use  of  the  cross  in  baptism^,  to  prevent  scandal; 
and  learned  Thuanus,  in  his  History^,  taketh  an 
especial  notice  thereof. 

14.  Motion  being  made  in  this  convocation,  about  Bishop 
framing  an  oath  against  simony,  to  be  taken  by  all  opposing 
presented  to  church  preferment,  bishop  Rudd,  of  St.  against 
David's,  (as  conscientious  as  any  of  his  order,  and*™""^- 
free  from  that  fault,)  opposed  it,  chiefly  because  he 
thought  it  unequal  that  the  patron  should  not  be 
forced,  as  w^ell  as   the  clerk,  to  take   that   oath ; 
whereupon  it   was   demanded    of  him   whether  he 
would  have  the  king  to  take  that  oath  when  he 
presented  a  bishop  or  dean,  and  hereat  the  bishop 

sat  down  in  silence. 

15.  About    this  time   the   corporation  of  Ripon  Tiie  peti- 

tion ot  the 
in  Yorkshire  presented  their  petition  to  queen  Anne  town  of 

on  this  occasion.     They  had  a  fair  collegiate  church,  queen  ** 


Anue. 


f   [The    puritans^   as   usual,  "  modest  and  reasonable  Exa- 

gave  vent  to  heavy  complaints  "  mination  of  some  things  in 

against  these  canons,  circulat-  "  use   in  the  Church  of  Eng- 

ing  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  Cer-  "  land,  sundry   times    hereto- 

"  tain   Advertisements   to   the  "  fore  misliked,  and  now  lately 

"  Parliament."  4to.  1604.  This  "in  a  book  called  '  The  Plea 

was    answered  by   Dr.  Covell,  "  of  the  Ii)nocents.'  "] 
the     celebrated     defender     of         e  [Can.  XXX.] 
Hooker,  in  a  tract  called  "  A         '»   [Lib.  cxxxi.  3.] 

Y  3 


326  The  Church  History  book  x, 

A.D.  1604.  stately  for  the  structure  thereof,  formerly  erected  by 

— '■ '-  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  the  vicinage ;  the  means 

whereof,  at  the  dissolution  of  abbeys,  were  seized  on 
by  the  king,  so  that  small  maintenance  was  left  to 
the  minister  of  that  populous  parish.  Now,  although 
Edwin  Sands,  archbishop  of  York,  with  the  earl  of 
Huntingdon,  lord  Burghley  and  Sheffield,  (succes- 
sively presidents  of  the  north,)  had  recommended 
their  petition  to  queen  Elizabeth,  they  obtained 
nothing  but  fair  unperformed  promises ;  whereupon 
now  the  Ripponers  humbly  addressed  themselves  to 
queen  Anne ;  and  hear  her  answer  unto  them  : 

"  Anne  R. 
"  Anne,  by  the  grace  of  God,  queen  of  England, 
♦'  Scotland,   France,    and    Ireland,  &c.    To    all,    to 
"  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  greeting.  Where- 
"  as  there  hath  been  lately  exhibited  and  recom- 
"  mended  unto  us  a  frame  and  platform  of  a  college 
"  general,  to  be  planted  and  established   at  Ripon 
"  in  the  county  of  York,  for  the  manifold  benefit  of 
"  both  the  borders  of  England  and  Scotland.     Upon 
"  the  due  perusing  of  the  plot  aforesaid,  hereunto 
*'  annexed,  and  upon  signification  given  of  the  good 
"  liking  and   approbation   of  the   chief  points  con- 
"  tained  therein  by  sundry  grave,  learned,  and  reli- 
"  gious  parties,  and  some  other  of  honourable  place 
"  and  estate,  we  have  thought  good,  for  the  ample 
"  and  perpetual  advancement  of  learning  and  reli- 
"  gion  in  both  the  borders  of  our  aforesaid  realms, 
"  to  condescend  to  yield  our  favour  and  best  fur- 
"  therance  thereunto.     And   for  the  better  encou- 
"  raging  of  other  honourable  and  worthy  personages 
"  to  join  with  us  in  yielding  their  bounty  and  bene- 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  327 

"  volence   thereunto,   we  have  and   do    signify  and  a.  d.  1604. 

"  assure,  and  by  the  word  of  a  sacred  princess  and 11- 

*'  queen  do  expressly  promise  to  procure,  with  all 
"  convenient  speed,  to  and  for  the  yearly  better 
"  maintenance  of  the  said  college,  all  and  every  of 
"  the  requests,  specified  and  craved  to  that  end,  in  a 
"  small  schedule  hereunto  annexed.  In  confirmation 
"  whereof  we  have  signed  these  presents  by  our 
"  hand  and  name  above-mentioned,  and  have  caused 
"  our  privy  signet  to  be  set  unto  the  same. 

*'  Dated  at  our  honour  at  Greenwich,  July  4th, 
"  anno  Dom.  1604,  and  of  our  reign,  &c." 

After  the  sealing,  thus  subscribed  : 

"  Gqlielmus  Toulerius, 

"  Secretarius  de  mandato  serenissimae 

"  Annse  Reginae  Anglise,  Scotia?, 

"  Franciae,  Hibernise." 

16.  Such   need  never  fear  success  who  have  so  King  James 

...         ,      .  .  1  .  -r  his  boim- 

potent  a  person  to  solicit  their  suit;  king  Jamestituigrant. 
being  forward  of  himself  to  advance  learning  and 
religion,  and  knowing  Christ's  precept.  Let  your 
light  shine  before  men,  knew  also  that  Ripon  was 
an  advantageous  place  for  the  fixing  thereof;  as 
which,  by  its  commodious  position  in  the  north, 
there  would  reflect  lustre  almost  equally  into  Enaj- 
land  and  Scotland.  Whereupon  he  founded  a  dean 
and  chapter  of  seven  })rebends,  allowing  them  two 
hundred  forty  seven  j)Ouiids  a  year  out  of  his  own 
crown  land  for  their  maintenance. 

17.  I  am  informed  that  lately  the  lands  of  this  Tiiese  lands 
church  are,  by  mistake,  twice  sold  to   several  pur-soiX*^^^*^*^ 
chasers :   viz.   once  under  the  notion  of  dean   and 

Y  4 


328  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A. D.  1604. chapter's  lands;  and  again,  under  the  property  of 

king's  lands.     I  hope  the  chapmen,  when  all  is  right 

stated  betwixt  them,  will  agree  amongst  themselves 
on  their  bargain.      Meantime   Ripon   Church  may 
the  better  comport  with  poverty,  because  only  re- 
mitted to  its  former  condition. 
Thepcti.        18.  The  Family  of  Love  (or  lust  rather)  at  this 

tion  of  the      ^  .    . 

Family  of  time  presented  a  tedious  petition  to  king  James,  (so 
king  James,  that  it  is  questionable  whether  his  majesty  ever 
graced  it  with  his  perusal,)  wherein  they  endea- 
voured to  clear  themselves  from  some  misrepresen- 
tations, and  by  fawning  expression  to  insinuate 
themselves  into  his  majesty's  good  opinion ;  which 
here  we  present : 

*'  To  the  King's  most  excellent  Majesty,  James  the 
"  First,  by  the  grace  of  God  King  of  England, 
"  Scotland,  France,  and  Ireland,  Defender  of  the 
"  Faith,  &c.  i 

"  Most  gracious  sovereign  lord,  whereas  there  is 
■•'  published  in  a  book,  written  by  your  highness  as 
"  an  instruction  to  your  most  noble  son  ^  (whom 

>   [This  Supplication  of  the  Rutherford's   "  Survey  of  the 

Family  of  Love  was  printed  in  "  Spiritual  Antichrist,"  p.  343, 

the  year  1606,  by  John  Legate,  in  1648  ;  from  whom  probably 

printer    to   the    university    of  Fuller  took   his   copy  of   the 

Cambridge,  in  a  pamphlet  with  petition,  which  I  have  collated 

this  title :  "  A  Supplication  of  with   the   earlier  book, — since 

"  the  Family  of  Love  (said  to  Rutherford    derived   his    com- 

"  be  presented  into  the  King's  ments  principally,   and   there- 

"  royal   Hands,  known    to  be  fore  very  probably  the  petition 

"  dispersed    among    his    loyal  itself,  from  the  first-mentioned 

"  Subjects)  for  Grace  and  Fa-  pamphlet.    I  may  add  that  Dr. 

"  vour.      Examined  and  found  More  took  some  pains  to  refute 

"  to  be  derogatory,  in  an  high  the  tenets  of  this  sect.     See  his 

"  Degree,   unto    the  Glory  of  Mystery  of  Godliness,  p.  247.] 
"  God,"  &c.   4to.     It  was  also         ^  In   his    Basilicon    Doron, 

reprinted,  with  observations,  in  [p.  143.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  829 

"  Almighty  God  bless  with  much  honour,  happiness,  a.  d.  1604. 

"  and  long  life,)  of  a  people  that  are  of  a  vile  sect — 

"  among  the  Anabaptists,  called  the  Family  of  Love, 
"  who  do  hold  and  maintain  many  proud,  uncha- 
"  ritable,  unchristian,  and  most  absurd  opinions, 
"  unto  whom  your  highness  doth  also  give  the  name 
"  of  puritans,  affirming  in  the  said  book  that  divers 
"  of  them  (as  Brown,  Penry,  and  others)  do  accord 
"  with  them  in  their  foul,  erroneous,  heady,  and 
"  fantastical  opinions,  which  are  there  set  down  at 
"  large  by  your  majesty,  advising  your  royal  son  (as 
*'  is  most  meet)  to  punish  them  if  they  refuse  to 
"  obey  the  law,  and  will  not  cease  to  stir  up  re- 
"  bellion. 

"  Now,  gracious  sovereign,  because  it  is  meet  that 
"  your  highness  should  understand  by  their  suppli- 
*'  cation  and  declaration  of  the  truth  herein  by 
'*  themselves,  of  whom  your  majesty  hath  been  thus 
"  informed,  prostrate  at  your  princely  feet,  as  true, 
"  faithful,  loyal,  and  obedient  subjects  to  all  your 
"  laws  and  ordinances,  civil  and  politic,  spiritual  and 
"  temporal,  they  with  humble  hearts  do  beseech 
"  your  princely  majesty  to  understand  that  the 
"  people  of  the  Family  of  Love,  or  of  God,  do 
"  utterly  disclaim  and  detest  all  the  said  absurd  and 
"  self-conceited  opinions,  and  disobedient  and  erro- 
"  neous  sects  of  the  anabaptists,  Brown,  Penry,  puri- 
"  tans,  and  all  other  proud-minded  sects  and  heresies 
"  whatsoever  ;  protesting,  upon  pain  of  our  lives, 
"  that  we  are  not  of  consent  nor  agreeing  with  any 
"  such  brain-sick  preachers,  nor  their  rebellious  and 
*'  disobedient  sects  whatsoever,  but  have  been  and 
"  ever  will  be  truly  obedient  to  your  highness  and 
"  your  laws,  to  the  effusion  of  our  blood  and  ex- 


^^0  The  C /lurch  History  book  x. 

^2James°"^"  P®"^^^  ^^  ^"^'  g'o^tls  aiid  laiuls  ill  your  majesty's 

"  service ;  highly  lauding  Almighty  God,  who  hath 

"  so  graciously  and  peaceably  appointed  unto  us 
"  such  a  virtuous,  wise,  religious,  and  noble  king, 
"  and  so  careful  and  impartial  a  justicer  to  govern 
"  over  us ;  beseeching  him  daily  to  bless  your  high- 
"  ness  with  his  godly  Misdom  and  holy  understanding, 
"  to  the  furtherance  of  his  truth  and  godliness,  and 
"  with  all  honour,  happiness,  peace,  and  long  life, 
"  and  to  judge  rightly  betwixt  falsehood  and  truth. 

"  And  because  your  majesty  shall  have  a  perfect 
"  view  or  an  assured  persuasion  of  the  truth  of  the 
"  same  our  protestation,  if  therefore  there  be  any 
"  indifferent  man    of  this  kingdom   that  can  justly 
"  touch  us  with   any  such  disobedient  and  wicked 
"  handling  of  ourselves,  as  seemeth  by  your  majesty's 
"  book  it  hath  been  informed  unto  your  highness, 
"  unless  they  be  such  our  mortal  enemies  the  dis- 
"  obedient  puritans,  and  those  of  their  heady  humours 
"  before  named,  who  are  much  more  zealous,  reli- 
"  gious,  and  precise  in  the  tything  of  mint,  annis, 
"  and  cummin,  and   in   the  preferring  of  such-like 
"  Pharisaical  and  self-chosen  outward  traditions  and 
"  grounds,  or  hypocritical  righteousness,  than  in  the 
"  performing    of  judgment,   mercy,   and    faith,   and 
"  such-like    true    and    inward   righteousness,  which 
"  God  doth  most  chiefly  require  and  regard,  (Matt. 
"  XV.  15,  &c.)  and  whose  malices  have  for  twenty- 
"  five  years  past  and  upwards,  and  ever  since  with 
"  very  many  untrue  suggestions  and  most  foul  errors 
"  and  odious  crimes  (the  which  we  could  shew,  if 
"  need   were)  sought  our  utter  overthrow   and  de- 
"  struction,  but  that  we  have  behaved  ourselves  in 
"  all  orderliness  and  peaceableness  of  life  where  we 


CENT.  XVII.  (jf  Britain.  331 

"  dwell,  and  with  whom  we  had  to  deal.     Or  if  we  a.d.  1604. 

"  do  vary  or  swerve  from  the  now  established  reli '- 

"  gion  in  this  land,  either  in  services,  ceremonies, 
"  sermons,  or  sacraments,  or  have  publicly  spoken  or 
"  inveighed,  either  by  word  or  writing,  against  our 
"  late  sovereign  prince's  government  in  cases  spi- 
*'  ritual  or  temporal,  then  let  us  be  rejected  for 
"  sectaries,  and  never  receive  the  benefit  of  subjects. 
"  Only,  right  gracious  sovereign,  we  have  read 
"  certain  books  brought  forth  by  a  German  author 
"  under  the  characters  of  H.  N.  ^,  who  affirmeth 
"  therein  that  he  is  prepared,  chosen,  and  sent  of 
"  God  to  minister  and  set  forth  the  most  holy 
'*  service  of  the  love  of  God  and  Christ,  or  of  the 
"  Holy  Ghost,  unto  the  children  of  men  upon  the 
"  universal  earth.  Out  of  which  service  or  writings 
"  we  be  taught  all  dutiful  obedience  towards  God 
"  and  magistrates,  and  to  live  a  godly  and  honest 
"  life,  and  to  love  God  above  all  things,  and  our 
"  neighbours  as  ourselves ;  agreeing  therein  with  all 
"  the  holy  scriptures,  as  we  understand  them. 
"  Against  which  author  and  his  books  we  never  yet 
"  heard  nor  knew  any  law  established  in  this  realm 
"  by  our  late  gracious  sovereign,  but  that  we  might 
"  read  them  without  offence ;  whose  writings  we 
"  suppose,  under  your  highness'  correction,  your 
"  majesty  hath  yet  never  seen  or  perused,  heard  of 
"  by  any  indifferent  nor  true  information.  For  the 
"  said  H.  N.  in  all  his  doctrine  and  writings  (being, 
"  as  we  are  credibly  informed,  as  much  matter  in 
"  volume,  if  they  were  all  compiled  together,  as  the 
"  whole   Bible   containeth)   doth   neither  take   part 

1  Henry  Nicholas. 


332  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1604. "  with    nor  write    against    any  particular  party   or 

"  company  whatsoever  ™,  as  naming  them  by  their 

"  names,  nor  yet  praise  or  dispraise  any  of  them  by 
"  name,  but  doth  only  shew  in  particular  in  his  said 
"  writings  (as,  saith  he,  the  unpartial  service  of  love 
"  requireth)  what  is  good  or  evil  for  every  one,  and 
"  wherein  the  man  hath  right  or  wrong  in  any  point, 
"  w^hether  it  be  in  the  state  of  his  soul  towards  God, 
"  or  in  the  state  of  his  body  towards  the  magistrates 
*'  of  the  world  and  towards  one  another,  to  the  end 
"  that  all  people  (when  they  hear  or  read  his  writ- 
"  ings,  and  do  thereby  perceive  their  sins  and 
"  estranging  from  God  and  Christ)  might  endeavour 
"  them  to  bring  forth  the  due  fruits  of  repentance, 
"  which  is  reformation  and  newness  of  life,  accord- 
"  ing  as  all  the  holy  scriptures  do  likewise  require 
"  the  same  of  every  one,  and  that  they  might  in 
"  that  sort  become  saved  through  Jesus  Christ,  the 
"  only  Saviour  of  all  the  world. 

"  Notwithstanding,  dear  sovereign,  yet  hath  the 
"  said  author  and  his  doctrine  a  long  time,  and  still 
"  is,  most  shamefully  and  falsely  slandered  by  our 
"  foresaid  adversaries,  both  in  this  land  and  in  divers 
"  others,  as  to  be  replenished  with  all  manner  of 
"  damnable  errors  and  filthy  liberty  of  the  flesh. 
"  And  we  his  well-willers  and  favourers  in  the 


°i  [Upon  this  passage  the  "  cardinals  most  holy  and  fa- 
author  of  the  first  pamphlet  "  mous,  and  next  the  most 
observes  :  "  He  commendeth  "  ancientest  and  holy  father 
"  the  church  of  Rome,  with  "  the  pope  in  most  holy  reli- 
"  all  the  orders  and  officers  "  gion  and  understanding;' and 
"  thereof  ;  tearming  it  '  the  "  prophecieth  of  an  entire  and 
"  communion  of  all  Christians;  "perfect  restauration  of  the 
"  the  pope,  the  chief  anointed,  "  papal  hierarchy."  Evangel, 
"the   most   holy   father;    the  Regni,  cap.  xxxi.  p.  32.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Brrtdin.  333 

*' iinrio-ht  drift   of  liis   doctrine  (as  aforesaid)   have  a.  d.  1604. 

i      i^  '2  James. 

"  also   been   by  them  complained   on,  and   accused 

"  unto  our  late  gracious  sovereign  and  the  magis- 
"  trates  of  this  land,  both  long  time  past  and  now 
"  lately  again,  as  to  be  a  people  so  infected  and 
*'  stained  with  all  manner  of  detestable  wickedness 
'•  and  errors,  that  are  not  worthy  to  live  upon  the 
"  earth ;  but  yet  would  never  present  any  of  his 
"  books  unto  his  majesty  to  peruse,  nor  yet  set  them 
"  forth  in  any  indifferent  or  true  manner  to  the 
"  view  of  the  world,  lest  their  malicious  and  slan- 
*'  derous  reports  and  accusations  against  the  same 
"  and  us  should  thereby  have  been  revealed  and 
"  disproved,  to  their  great  shame.  Through  which 
"  their  most  odious  and  false  complaints  against  us, 
"  the  magistrates  did  then,  and  also  have  now  lately, 
"  cast  divers  of  us  into  prison,  to  our  great  hin- 
*'  derance  and  discredit ;  but  yet  have  never  proved 
"  against  us,  by  sufficient  and  true  testimony,  any 
*'  one  of  their  many  foul  accusations,  (as  the  records 
"  in  such  cases,  and  the  magistrates  that  have  dealt 
"  therein  can  testify,)  but  are  so  utterly  void  of  due 
"  and  lawful  proof  thereof,  that  they  have  framed 
"  divers  subtle  Articles  for  us  (being  plain  and  un- 
"  learned  men)  to  answer  upon  our  oath,  whereby 
"  to  urge  and  gather  some  things  from  ourselves, 
"  so  to  approve  their  false  and  unchristian  accusa- 
''  tions  to  be  true,  or  else  will  force  us  to  renounce, 
"  recant,  and  condemn  that  which  we  do  not  wilfully 
"  maintain  nor  justify,  (much  like  as  it  was  practised 
"  in  the  primitive  church  against  the  Christians ;) 
"  yea,  they  are  not  ashamed  to  lay  their  own  and 
"  all  other  men's  disobedient  and  wicked  acts  (of 
"  what  profession  soever  they  be)  upon  our  backs. 


334 


The  Church  History 


HOOK  X. 


A.D.  1604. 

2  James. 


to  the  end  cunningly  to  purchase  favour  and 
credit  to  themselves,  and  to  make  us  seem  mon- 
strous and  detestable  before  the  magistrates  and 
the  common  people  every  where ;  for  that  we  and 
the  doctrine  of  H.  N.  might  (without  any  indif- 
ferent trial,  and  lawful  or  orderly  proceeding,  as 
heretofore  hath  been  used  in  the  Christian  church 
in  such  cases,  for  confuting  and  condemning  of 
heresies)  be  utterly  rooted  out  of  the  land ;  with 
divers  other  most  cruel  practices,  proceeding  out 
of  their  bitter  and  envious  hearts  towards  us, 
tending  to  the  same  unchristian  and  merciless 
purpose,  the  which  we  will  here  omit  to  speak 
of,  because  we  have  already  been  over-tedious  unto 
your  highness ;  most  humbly  craving  your  most 
gracious  pardon  and  patience  therein,  in  respect 
that  we  speak  to  clear  ourselves  of  such  matter  as 
may  touch  our  lives  and  liberties,  (which  are  two 
of  the  chiefest  jewels  that  God  hath  given  to 
mankind  in  this  world,)  and  also  for  that  we  have 
few  friends,  or  any  other  means  than  this  to 
acquaint  your  highness  with  the  truth  and  state 
of  our  cause,  (whereof  we  think  your  majesty  is 
altogether  ignorant,)  but  have  very  many  enemies, 
whom  we  do  greatly  suspect  ^vill  not  be  slack  to 
prosecute  their  false  and  malicious  purpose  against 
us  unto  your  highness,  even  like  as  they  have 
accustomed  to  do  in  times  past  unto  our  late 
sovereign  queen  ;  through  which  prevailing  in  their 
slanderous  defacing  of  us  and  our  cause,  divers  of 
us  (for  want  of  friends  to  make  it  rightly  known 
unto  her  majesty)  have  sundry  times  been  con- 
strained to  endure  their  injurious  dealings  toward 
us,  to  our  great  vexation  and  hinderance. 


CENT.  xvii.  of  Britain.  335 

"  Wherefore,  most  gracious  sovereign,  this  is  now  a.  d.  1604. 

.  I'l  1  1^  James. 

"  our  humble   suit  unto  your  higlmess,  that   when 

"  your  kingly  affairs  of  importance,  which  your 
"  majesty  hath  now  in  hand,  shall  be  well  overpast 
"  and  finished,  (for  the  prosperous  performance 
"  whereof  we  will,  as  duty  bindeth  us,  daily  pray 
"  unto  Almighty  God,)  that  then  your  highness  will 
"  be  pleased  (because  we  have  always  taken  the 
"  same  author's  work  aforesaid  to  proceed  out  of 
"  the  great  grace  and  love  of  God  and  Christ 
"  extended  towards  all  kings,  princes,  rulers,  and 
"  people  upon  the  universal  earth — as  he  himself, 
"  in  many  of  his  works,  doth  witness  no  less — to 
"  their  salvation,  unity,  peace,  and  concord  in  the 
"  same  godly  love)  to  grant  us  that  favour,  at  your 
"  majesty's  fit  and  convenient  time,  to  peruse  the 
"  books  yourself  with  an  impartial  eye,  conferring 
"  them  with  the  holy  scriptures,  wherein  it  seemeth 
"  by  the  books  that  are  set  forth  under  your  high- 
"  ness'  name  that  you  have  had  great  travel,  and 
"  are  therefore  the  better  able  to  judge  betwixt 
"  truth  and  falsehood.  And  we  will,  whensoever 
"  it  shall  please  your  highness  to  appoint  the  time 
"  and  to  command  and  licence  us  thereto,  do  our 
"  best  endeavour  to  procure  so  many  of  the  books 
"  as  we  can  out  of  Germany,  where  they  be  printed, 
"  to  be  delivered  unto  your  majesty,  or  such  godly, 
"  learned,  and  indifferent  men  as  it  shall  please  your 
"  majesty  to  appoint. 

"  And  we  will  also,  under  your  highness'  lawful 
"  licence  and  commandment  in  that  behalf,  do  our 
"  like  endeavour  to  procure  some  of  the  learned 
"  men  of  that  country  (if  there  be  any  yet  remaining 
"  alive  that  were  well  acquainted   with  the  author 


336 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D.  1604. 
2  James. 


and  liis  works  in  his  lifetime,  and  which  h'kewise 
have  exercised  his  works  ever  since)  to  come  over 
and  attend  upon  your  majesty,  at  your  appointed 
time  convenient,  who  can  much  more  sufficiently 
instruct  and  resolve  your  highness  in  any  unusual 
words,  phrase,  or  matter,  that  may  haply  seem 
dark  and  doubtful  unto  your  majesty,  than  any  of 
us  in  this  your  land  are  able  to  do. 
"  And  so,  upon  such  your  highness'  godly  advised 
consultation,  and  censure  thereupon,  (finding  the 
same  works  heretical  or  seditious,  and  not  agree- 
able to  God's  holy  word  and  testimonies  of  all 
the  scriptures,)  to  leave  them,  to  take  them  as 
your  majesty's  laws  shall  therein  appoint  us ;  hav- 
ing no  intent  nor  meaning  to  contend  or  resist 
thereagainst,  howsoever  it  be,  but  dutifully  to  obey 
thereunto,  according  to  the  counsel  of  the  scrip- 
tures, and  also  of  the  said  author's  works. 
"  And  our  further  humble  suit  unto  your  high- 
ness is,  that  of  your  gracious  favour  and  clemency 
you  will  grant  and  give  order  unto  your  majesty's 
officers  in  that  behalf,  that  all  of  us,  your  faithful 
loving  subjects,  which  are  now  in  prison  in  any 
part  of  this  your  realm  for  the  same  cause,  may 
be  released  upon  such  bail  or  bond  as  we  are  able 
to  give ;  and  that  neither  we  nor  any  of  that  com- 
pany, behaving  ourselves  orderly  and  obediently 
under  your  highness'  laws,  may  be  any  further 
persecuted  or  troubled  therein,  until  such  time 
as  your  majesty  and  such  godly,  learned,  and 
indifferent  men  of  your  clergy  as  your  highness 
shall  appoint  thereto,  shall  have  advisedly  con- 
sulted and  determined  of  the  matter,  whereby  tliat 
we  may  not  be  utterly  wasted  by  the  great  charge 


CEXT.  xvir. 


of  Bntdin. 


337 


'  of  imprisonment  and  persecution,  and  bv  the  hard  ^i^- '^'04- 
'  dealing  of  onr  adversaries  ;   for  we  are  a  people 

■  but  few  in  number,  and  yet  most  of  us  very  poor 

■  in  worldly  wealth  ". 

"  O  sacred  prince  !  we  humbly  pray  that  the 
Almighty  will  move  your  princely  heart  with  true 
judgment  to  discern  betwixt  the  right  and  Mrong 
of  our  cau<;e,  according  to  that  most  certain  and 
Christian  rule  set  down  by  our  Saviour  Christ  unto 
his  disciples,  (^Nlatt.  vii.  12,)  Ye  shall  know  the 
tree  by  his  fruits ;  and  in  our  obedience,  peace- 
able and  honest  lives  and  conversation  to  protect 
us,  and  in  our  disobedience  and  misdemeanour  to 
punish  us  as  resisters  of  God's  ordinance,  of  the 
kingly  authority,  and  most  high  office  of  justice 
committed  unto  your  ma.jesty  to  that  purpose  to- 
wards your  subjects.     (Rom.  xiii.) 

"  And,   gracious    sovereign,  we    humbly   beseech 


"  [Upon  this  passage  the 
author  of  the  same  pamphlet 
observes,  "It  is  well  known 
"  how,  twentv-five  years  ago, 
"  the  number  of  them  was  great, 
"  and  they  dispersed  in  divers 
"  parts  :  as  Surrey,  Sussex, 
"  Middlesex,  Berkshire,  Hamp- 
"  shire,  Essex,  Isle  of  Ely, 
"  Cambridgeshire, Suffolk,Xor- 
"  folk  ;  in  the  north  parts  ;  and 
"  finally  in  most  shires  of  this 
"  realm.  In  those  days  they 
'•  did  abound,  and  were  grown 
"  to  such  a  number,  as  the  dis- 
"  player  of  the  sect  delivered, 
"  '  how  his  heart  did  sue  to 
"  speak  that  which  one  of  the 
"  same  society  did  avouch  to 
*'  him  for  truth,'  {Displai/, 
"  Pref.)  '  not  a  few  ministers 

FULLER,    VOL.   V. 


of  the  simple  sort  were  with 
H.  N.  his  fancies  entangled, 
nor  the  chiefest  place  of  the 
realm  free  from  these  men.' 
Ibid.E.4,n.  Since,  that  they 
are  diminished  I  hear  not, 
but  them  to  be  hugely  in- 
creased, through  rueful  con- 
nivance I  have  arguments  to 
think;  but  that  their  increase 
may  be  hindered,  I  hope  au- 
thority will  take  order. 
"  They  say  they  are  also 
poor,  or  the  most  of  them  ; 
but  if  the  book  of  their 
names,  called  of  them  *  The 
Book  of  Life,'  could  be  seen, 
it  would  then  appear,  I  doubt 
not,  that  both  the  number  of 
them  is  great,  and  most  of 
them  very  rich."  p.  57-] 


338  The  Clmrvh  History  book  x. 

A.  n.  1604.*'  your  highness  with  princely  regard  in  equity  and 

3  James.  1         1  i  1  • 

"  favour  to  ponder,  and  grant  the  humble  suit  con- 

''  tained  in  this  most  lowly  supjilication  of  your 
"  loyal,  true-hearted,  faithful,  and  afflicted  subjects ; 
"  and  to  remember  that  your  majesty,  in  your  book 
"  of  princely,  grave,  and  fatherly  advice  to  the  happy 
"  prince,  your  royal  son,  doth  conclude  that  principis 
"  est  parcere  suhjectis  et  debellare  superbos  ;  and  then, 
"  no  doubt,  God  will  bless  your  highness  and  all 
"  your  noble  offspring  with  peace,  long  life,  and  all 
"  lionours  and  happiness,  long  to  continue  and  reign 
"  over  us :  for  the  which  we  will  ever  pray  with 
"  incessant  prayers  to  the  Almighty." 

I  find  not  what  effect  this  their  petition  produced ; 
whether  it  was  slighted,  and  the  petitioners  looked 
upon  as  inconsiderable,  or  beheld  as  a  few  frantic 
folk  out  of  their  wits,  which  consideration  alone 
often  melted  their  adversaries'  anger  into  pity  unto 
them. 
TheFami-       J 9^  i"he  main   design  driven   on   in  the  petition 

lists  will  in  '-' 

nowise  be  is  to  Separate  themselves  from  the  puritans,  (as  per- 
puritans.  SOUS  odious  to  king  James,)  that  they  might  not  fare 
the  worse  for  their  vicinity  unto  them  ;  though  these 
Familists  could  not  be  so  desirous  to  leave  them 
as  the  others  were  glad  to  be  left  by  them ;  for  if 
their  opinions  were  so  senseless,  and  the  lives  of 
these  Familists  so  sensual,  as  is  reported,  no  purity 
at  all  belonged  unto  them. 
Phrases  in       20.  Somc    take    exceptions   at   their  prayer  for 

their  peti-  .       .  i  tp 

tion  c«n-  king  Jamos,  wishing  him  and  his  "  peace,  long  life, 
"  all  honour  and  happiness,"  without  mentioning  of 
life  eternal  and  the  blessings  thereof;  whilst  others 
are  so  much  of  the  family  of  charity  to  this  Family 


CENT.  xviT.  ofBrifaiv.  339 

of  Love,  as  to  excuse  the  omission  as  casual,  or  else  a.d.  tr.04. 

extend  liap])inoss  as  comprehonsivo  or  the  world  to -^ 

come  o  ;  others  are  more  justly  offended  to  see  gold 
and  dung  joined  together — God's  word  and  the 
words  of  H.  Nicholas  equally  yoked  by  them  as 
infallible  alike.  They  confess  in  this  book  "  some 
"  unusual  words  which  are  dark  and  doubtful,"  which 
at  this  day  is  affected  by  many  sectarists,  whilst  truth 
is  plain  and  easy ;  amusing  people  with  mystical 
expressions,  which  their  auditors  understand  not,  and 
perchance  not  they  themselves  :  so  that,  as  one  saith 
very  well  of  their  high-soaring  i)retended  spiritual 
language,  "  That  it  is  a  great  deal  too  high  for  this 
"  world,  and  a  great  deal  too  low  for  the  world  to 
"  come." 

21.  I  find  one,  in  his  confutation  of  this  petition,  Mr.  Ru- 
mveighmg  agamst  our  bishops,  that  they  were  friends  causelessly 
unto  Familism,  and  favoured  the  promoters  thereof ;  tJ^l!*^Sops 
adding,  moreover,  "  that  few  of  the  prelatical  way  ^"Js  oT'" 
"  refuted  them  p."     Now,  though  the  best  friends  of 'I'leen  rh- 

°  ,  zabeth. 

bishops,  yea,  and  the  bishops  themselves,  will  con- 
fess they  had  too  many  faults,  yet  I  am  confident 
this  is  a  false  and  uncharitable  aspersion  upon  them. 
No  better  is  that  when  he  saith,  "  that  divers  of 
"  the  court  of  queen  Elizabeth,  and  some  nobles, 
*'  were  Familists ;"  wherein  I  am  sure  plenty  of 
instances  hath  put  him  to  such  a  penury,  that  he 
cannot  insist  upon  any  one.  But  I  am  inclined  the 
rather  to  pardon  his  error  herein,  because  the  author 
reporting  this  is  a  foreigner  then  living  in  Scotland  ; 
and  should  I  treat  of  the  character  of  the  court  of 


o  Samuel  Rutherford,  iu  his  P   In  his  Notes  on  his  Peti- 

Survey,  p.  353.  tion  of  Survey,  p.  349. 

z  SI 


340  The  Church  Historif  book  x. 

A.D.  i6oj,.  king  James  at  Edinburgh  at  the  same  time,  possibly 

my  pen  at  so  great  a  distance   might   commit   far 

worse  mistakes. 
Famiiists         22.  Some  will  say,  where  are  these  Familists  now- 

turned  into      to  i  '^  •  i  i      ^    • 

modern  adays  {  are  they  utterly  extnict,  or  are  they  lost  in 
anters.  ^j^^  heap  of  otlier  sects,  or  are  they  concealed  under 
a  new  name  ?  The  last  is  most  probable.  This 
Family,  which  shut  their  doors  before,  keeps  open 
house  now ;  yea,  Family  is  too  narrow  a  name  for 
them,  they  are  grown  so  numerous.  Formerly,  by 
their  own  confession  in  this  petition,  they  had  three 
qualities — "  few,  poor,  and  unlearned."  For  the  last 
billa  vera,  their  lack  of  learning  they  still  retain, 
being  otherwise  many,  and  some  rich,  but  all  under 
the  name  of  Ranters.  And  thus  I  fairly  leave  them, 
on  condition  they  will  fairly  leave  me,  that  I  may 
hear  no  more  of  them  for  delivering  truth  and  my 
own  conscience  in  what  I  have  written  concerning 
their  opinions. 
The  death  23.  I  find  no  protestaut  tears  dropped  on  the 
Eiy.^  ^"  grave  of  any  eminent  divine  this  year,  but  we  light 
on  two  Romanists  dying  beyond  sea,  much  lamented: 
one,  Richard  Hall  ^,  bred  in  Christ's  College  in 
Cambridge,  whence  he  ran  over  to  Rome,  whence 
he  returned  into  the  Low  Countries,  and  died  canon 
and  official  of  the  cathedral  of  St.  Omer ;  the  other, 
Humphrey  Ely"",  an  Herefordshire  man  by  birth, 
fellow  of  St.  John's  in  Oxford,  whence,  going  beyond 
sea,  at  Rome  he  commenced  doctor  of  law,  and 
afterwards  died  professor  thereof  in  the  university 
of  Pont  a  Mouson  **.     He  is  charactered  to  be  jurh- 


q   [Pitzeus  in  Vita,  p.  802.]  »  In  the  duchy  of  Lorraine. 

^  [lb.  p.  803.] 


c  K  N  T .  X  V 1 1 .  of  Brit  a  in .  341 

peritus,  doctus^  pauper,  et  pacijicus — a  lawyer  learned,  a.  d.  1605. 
poor,  and  peaceable.     And   thus  much   my  charity -^^ '— 


can  easily  believe  of  him ;  but  the  distich  (the 
epitaph,  I  take  it,  on  his  tomb)  is  damnably  hyper- 
bolical : 

"  Albion  hwreseos  velatur  node,  motor 
Desine  mirari,  sol  suns  hie  latitat.'''' 

"  Wonder  not,  Eno'land"'s  dark  with  error's  night, 
For  lo !  here  buried  hes  her  sun  so  brioht." 

Or  else  the  poet  lies  who  made  the  verses.  But 
his  ashes  shall  not  be  disturbed  by  me. 

24.  The  Romish  catholics,  now  utterly  despairing,  The  piot- 

,   ,  ,         _  _  „         ters  in  the 

either  by  nattery  to  woo  or  rorce  to  wrest  any  tree  Powder 
and  public  exercise  of  their  religion,  some  of  them 
entered  into  a  damnable  and  devilish  conspiracy  to 
blow  up  the  parliament-house  with  gunpowder  *.    In 
this  plot  were  engaged, 

i.  Robert  Catesby.  ii.  Thomas  Percy,  iii.  Sir 
Everard  Digby.  iv.  Francis  Tresham.  v.  Robert 
Winter,  vi.  Thomas  Winter,  vii.  John  Wright, 
viii.  Christopher  Wright,     ix.  Ambrose  Rook  wood. 

t  [Posterity  has  since  acquit-  they  conveyed  the  barrels  of 
ted  the  Roman  catholics,  as  a  jiowder,  and  was  assisted  in  it 
body,  from  the  guilt  of  parti-  by  the  latter,  whom  Goodman 
cipating  in  this  conspiracy  ;  nor  describes  as  "  a  very  cunning, 
does  history  warrant  us  in  sup-  "  subtle  man,  exceedingly  en- 
posing  that  it  was  ever  known,  "  tangled  in  debts,  and  scarce 
much  less  favoured,  by  any  "  able  to  subsist."  For  the 
others  than  the  desperate  men  rest  of  the  conspirators  men- 
who  were  actually  engaged  in  tioned  in  the  text,  (with  the 
it.  The  chief  contrivers  of  it,  exception,  perhaps,  of  Rook- 
who  seem  also  to  have  inveigled  wood,  who  was  somewhat  in 
the  rest,  were  Percy  and  Cates-  debt,)  there  seems  but  little 
by  ;  the  former  of  whom,  being  reason  to  suppose  that  thev 
kinsman  to  the  earl  of  North-  were  otherwise  than  drawn 
uuiberland,  and  a  man  of  loose  into  it  by  abler  heads  than 
habits,  first  hired  the  house  their  own.] 
near  the  parliament,  into  which 

z  3 


342 


The  (.'li  II  reft  His  ton/ 


BOOK  X. 


A.l).  160.:; 
4  James. 


Garnet  his 
deciding  a 
case  of  con 
science. 


X.  Robert  Keys.  xi.  John  Grant,  xii.  Thomas 
Bates,  Catesby's  man.     xiii.  Guido  Faux  ". 

Twelve,  besides  their  foreman ;  but  how  honest 
and  true,  let  their  ensuing  action  declare.  Surely 
all  of  resolute  spirits,  most  of  ancient  families,  some 
of  plentiful  fortunes;  and  Percy,  though  weak  in 
purse  himself,  pretended  to  command  the  wealthiest 
coffers  of  another. 

25.  But  a  treason  without  a  Jesuit,  or  one  of 
jesuited  principles  therein,  is  like  a  dry  wall  with- 
out either  lime  or  mortar.  Gerard  must  be  the 
cement,  with  the  sacrament  of  secrecy,  to  join  them 
together.  Garnet  and  Tesmond,  whelps  of  the  same 
litter,  commended  and  encouraged  the  design.  But 
here  an  important  scruple  was  injected  —  how  to 


"  [According  to  the  Roman 
catholic  historians,  Catesby  con- 
ceived this  monstrous  design  in 
February,  1605.  Keys  was  not 
associated  in  it  until  August, 
and  Bates  in  December  follow- 
ing. The  first  two  persons  to 
whom  it  was  communicated 
were  John  Wright  and  Thomas 
Winter.  Winter  passed  over 
into  Flanders,  to  solicit  the 
mediation  of  the  king  of  Spain ; 
but,  failing  in  his  attempt,  re- 
turned into  England,  in  com- 
pany with  Guy  Fawkes,  with 
whom  he  had  fallen  in  atOstend 
about  the  middle  of  April.  To- 
wards the  end  of  the  month, 
Percy,  having  arrived  in  town, 
Avas  introduced  to  the  rest  of 
the  conspirators  at  Catesby's 
liouse  in  Lambeth.  Then  all 
five,  a  few  days  later,  met  at  a 
liouse  in  the  fields  behind  St. 
Clement's     Inn,     where     they 


agreed  upon  the  plot ;  having 
first  sworn  by  the  blessed  Tri- 
nity, and  by  an  "  oath  which 
"  they  purposed  to  receive,  not 
"  to  reveal  what  should  be  dis- 
"  closed  to  them,  nor  abandon 
"  the  design  without  the  full 
"  and  unanimous  consent  of 
"  their  associates." 

Up  to  this  period  there  is 
no  proof  that  either  Gerard  or 
Garnet  was  acquainted  with 
their  intentions  explicitly  :  it 
seems,  therefore,  much  more 
probable  (as  it  is  positively 
stated  in  Gerard's  MS.,  as 
quoted  by  Mr.  Tierney)  that 
Catesby  obtained  Garnet's  opi- 
nion on  this  "  case  of  con- 
"  science,"  not  by  communi- 
cating his  design,  but  by  stat- 
ing an  analogous  case.  See  the 
notes  in  Dodd's  Church  Hist. 
IV.  45-] 


(ncNT.  XVII.  lyf' Britain.  343 

part  their  friends  from  their  foes  in  the  parliament,  a. d.  1605. 

i  4  James. 

they  liaving  many  in  the  house  of  alliance,  yea,  of 

the  same  (in  conscience  a  nearer  kindred)  religion 
with  themselves.  To  slay  the  righteous  tvith  the 
uncked "",  be  it  far  from  God  and  all  good  men  ;  and 
yet,  as  such  an  unpartial  destruction  was  uncha- 
ritable, so  an  exact  separation  seemed  as  impossible. 
Here  Garnet,  instead  of  untying,  cut  this  knot 
asunder,  with  this  his  sharp  decision  :  that  in  such 
a  case  as  this,  it  was  lawful  to  kill  friend  and  foe 
together.  Indeed,  the  good  husbandman  in  the 
gospel  >■  permitted  the  tares  to  grow  for  the  corn's 
sake ;  whereas  here,  by  the  contrary  counsel  of  the 
Jesuit,  the  corn  (so  they  reputed  it)  was  to  be  rooted 
up  for  the  tares'  sake. 

26.  This  scruple  in  conscience   thus  satisfied  by  Two  other 

^  "^  difficulties 

Garnet,  two  other  difficulties,  in  point  of  perform- removed, 
ance,  presented  themselves ;  for  Charles,  duke  of 
York,  probably  (by  reason  of  his  minority)  would 
not  be  present,  and  the  lady  Elizabeth  would  cer- 
tainly be  absent  from  the  parliament-house.  How 
then  should  these  two,  the  next  heirs  to  the  crown, 
be  compassed  within  their  power?  But  for  the 
first,  Percy  proffered  his  service,  promising  to  pos- 
sess himself,  by  a  fraudulent  force,  of  the  person  of 
the  duke.  Catesby  undertook  the  other  difficulty, 
under  a  pretended  hunting- match  (advantaged  there- 
unto by  the  vicinity  of  Ashby  to  the  lord  Harring- 
ton's, where  the  princess  had  her  education)  to  train 
her  into  their  command.  All  rubs  thus  removed, 
their  way  was  made  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  as 
slippery  too,  as  by  the  sequel  may  appear. 

"  Gen.  xviii.  25,  y   Matt.  xiii.  29. 

z  4 


344  The  Chun/t  His  fur  if  book  x. 

A.  1).  1605.      27-  But  first  be  it  remembered,  that  though  these 

4  James.  •  i      i  1  •   i       i  ^ 

plotters  intended  at    last   ^vlth   honour  to  own  the 

The  odium  ,  n      1  • 

must  be  action,  when  success  had  made  all  things  secure,  yet 
puritans/  they  purposed,  when  the  blow  was  first  given,  and 
whilst  the  act  was  certain,  but  the  success  thereof 
doubtful,  to  father  the  fact  on  the  puritans.  They 
thouo-lit  their  backs  were  broad  enough  to  bear  both 
the  sin  and  shame,  and  that  this  saddle,  for  the 
present,  woukl  finely  fit  their  backs ;  whose  discon- 
tent, (as  these  plotters  would  pretend,)  unable  other- 
wise to  achieve  their  desired  alteration  in  church 
government,  had  by  this  damnable  treason  effected 
the  same.  By  transferring  the  fact  on  the  then 
most  innocent  puritans,  they  hoped  not  only  to 
decline  the  odium  of  so  hellish  a  design,  but  also, 
by  the  strangeness  of  the  act  and  unsuspectedness  of 
the  actors,  to  amuse  all  men,  and  beget  an  universal 
distrust,  that  every  man  would  grow  jealous  of  him- 
self. And  whilst  such  amazement  tied,  in  a  manner, 
all  men's  hands  behind  them,  these  plotters  promised 
themselves  the  working  out  their  own  ends,  part  by 
their  home  strength,  and  the  rest  by  calling  in  the 
assistance  of  foreign  princes. 
wiii-wor-       28.  They  fall  a  working  in  the  vault :  dark  the 

ship  a  pail)-  •iiipi  iiii- 

fui  labour,  place,  in  the  depth  or  the  earth ;  dark  the  time,  m 
the  dead  of  the  night;  dark  the  design,  all  the 
actors  therein  concealed  by  oath  from  others,  and 
thereby  combined  amongst  themselves.  Oh,  how 
easy  is  any  work  wlien  high  merit  is  conceived  the 
wages  thereof!  In  piercing  through  the  wall,  nine 
foot  thick,  they  erroneously  conceived  that  they 
thereby  hewed    forth    their   own    way   to   heaven ''. 

z   Speed's    Lliron.    in    King    James,  [x.  i,  49.      They  hired 


CENT.    XVII. 


of  Britain. 


345 


But  they  digged  more  with  their  silver  in  an  hour 
than  with  their  iron  in  many  days ;  namely,  when 
discovering  a  cellar  hard  by,  they  hired  the  same, 
and  these  pioneers  saved  much  of  their  pains  by  the 
advantage  thereof.  And  now  all  things  were  carried 
so  secretly,  no  i)ossibility  of  any  detection,  seeing 
the  actors  themselves  had  solemnly  sworn  that  they 
would  not,  and  all  others  might  as  safely  swear  they 
could  not,  make  any  discovery  thereof 

29.  But   so  it  fell   out    that    the    sitting  of  the 
parliament  was  put  off  from  time  to  time  ;  namely, 


A.  0.1605. 
4  James. 


God  gives 
them  warn- 
ing to  de- 


the  house  of  a  person  named 
Ferris,  who  was  tenant  to  Wy- 
niard,  the  keeper  of  the  royal 
wardrobe.  The  original  deed 
of  agreement  between  Percy 
and  Ferris,  dated  May  24,  1604, 
is  still  preserved  in  the  State 
Paper  Office.  (Tierney,inDodd, 
IV.  44.)  By  the  time  they  could 
get  possession  of  the  house,  it 
was  too  late  to  commence  their 
project  of  forming  a  mine,  as 
parliament  was  prorogued  in 
July.  They  separated,  there- 
fore, with  a  resolution  to  re- 
assemble in  November,  when 
the  houses  would  again  be  sit- 
ting. When  that  period  had 
arrived,  the  commissioners  ap- 
pointed for  proposing  the  union 
between  England  and  Scotland 
had  fixed  upon  the  house  which 
Percy  had  taken  for  holding 
their  meetings  in.  By  these 
circumstances  their  operations 
were  delayed  till  December. 
When  the  mine  was  opened, 
the  rubbish  removed  during 
the  day  was  concealed  at  night 
under  the  soil  of  the  garden. 
But    other    accidents,    besides 


the  thickness  of  the  ft)undation 
wall,  (among  others,  the  influx 
of  water  into  the  mine,)  im- 
peded their  progress  :  when 
Easter,  therefore,  had  arrived, 
they  had  not  yet  perforated 
the  wall  nor  completed  the 
task.  At  this  juncture  an 
accidental  noise  over  their 
heads  first  apprised  them  of 
the  existence  of  the  cellar, 
situated  immediately  under  the 
house  of  lords.  The  tenant  of 
it,  named  Bright,  was  already 
removing ;  and  Fawkes  hast- 
ened, in  the  name  of  his  master 
Percy,  to  hire  the  cellar.  Hav- 
ing accomplished  his  purpose, 
they  abandoned  their  o])era- 
tions  in  the  mine  ;  but  so  hasty, 
or,  as  Goodman  thinks, (1. 104,) 
so  negligent  were  they  in  their 
proceedings,  "  as  they  did  not 
"  throw  in  that  earth  which 
"  thev  digged  out  of  the  mine, 
"  but  left  it  open,  that  it  might 

"  be    seen and   I   myself," 

continues  the  bishop,  "  did  .see 
"  it."  See  also  Dodd,  note, 
p.  44.] 


346  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1605.  from  tlie  seventh  of  February,  whereon  it  was  first 
"^ '  '*'"^'"  a})pointed  to  meet,  it  was  adjourned  till  the  fifth  of 
tbevwiii     October,  and  afterward  from   the  fifth   of  October 
t  .ke  none,  p^^  q^  ^[\\  ^]^q  ^f|.|j  ^f  ]Vovember ;  and  accordingly 
their   working"    in    the    vault,   which    attended    the 
motion  of  the  i)arliament,  had   several  distinct  in- 
termissions and   resunn)tions  thereof:   as   if  Divine 
Providence  had  given  warning  to  these  traitors,  by 
the  slow  proceeding  and  oft  adjourning  of  the  par- 
liament, meantime  seriously  to  consider  what  they 
went  about,  and  seasonably  to  desist  from  so  damn- 
able a   design,   as    suspicious    at    last    it   would   be 
ruined,  which  so  long  had  been  retarded.     But  no 
taking  off  their  wheels  ^  will  stay  those  chariots  from 
drowning  which  God   hath  decreed   shall  be  swal- 
lowed in  the  Red  Sea. 
Theiati-         30.  Behold,  here  is  fire  and  tvood,  but  where  is 
their  de-     the  lamb  for   the   burnt  offering  f     Alas  !  a  whole 
'''^"'         flock  of  lambs  were  not   far   off,   all   appointed   to 
the  slaughter :  the  king,  prince  Henry,  peers,  bishops, 
judges,    knights,    and    burgesses  —  all    designed    to 
destruction.     Let   me   smite   him    (said  Abishai    of 
Saul)  even   at  once,   and  I  will   not  smite  him   the 
second  time  ^.     So   here,  a  blow  so   sound,  secret, 
and  sudden  was  intended,  it  would  not  need  itera- 
tion :  once  and  ever — the  first  act  would  finish  all 
in  an  instant.     But,  thanks  be  to  God,  nothing  was 
blown  up  but  the  treason,  or  brought  to  execution 
but  the  traitors. 
The  apish        31.  Indeed,  some  few  days  before  the  fatal  stroke 
of  Keye^   sliould  be  giveu,  master  Keyes,  being  at  Titchmarsh 
in  Northamptonshire,  at  the  house  of  master  Gilbert 

a  Exod.  xiv.  25.  b   I  Sum.  xxvi.  8. 


CENT.  xvii.  of  Ih'ituin.  347 

Pickering,   his    brother-in-law,   (but    of  a    ditferent  a,  d.  1605. 
rehgion,  as  a  true  protestant,)  suddenly  M'hip})ed  out 


his  sword,  and  in  merriment  made  many  offers  there- 
with at  the  heads,  neck,  and  sides  of  many  gentlemen 
and  gentlewomen  then  in  his  company.  This  then 
was  taken  as  a  mere  frolic,  and  for  the  present 
passed  accordingly;  but  afterguards,  when  the  treason 
was  discovered,  such  as  remembered  his  gestures 
thought  thereby  he  did  act  what  he  intended  to  do 
if  the  plot  had  took  effect — hack  and  hew,  kill  and 
slay  all  eminent  persons  of  a  different  religion  from 
themselves. 

32.  Curse  not  the  king,  no  not  in  thy  thought The  mys- 

for  a  bird  of  the  air  shall  carry  the  voice  ^  ;  as  here 
such  a  discovery  was  made.  With  a  pen,  fetched 
from  the  feather  of  a  fowl,  a  letter  was  written  to 
the  lord  Mounteagle  ^,  in  manner  following : 

"  My  Lord, 

"  Out  of  the  love  I  bear  to  some  of  your  friends, 
"  I  have  a  care  of  your  preservation  ;  therefore  I 
"  would  advise  you,  as  you  tender  your  life,  to  devise 
"  some  excuse  to  shift  off  your  attendance  at  this 
"  parliament :  for  God  and  man  have  concurred  to 
"  punish  the  wickedness  of  this  time.  And  think 
"  not  slightly  of  this  advertisement,  but  retire  your- 
"  self  into  your  country,  where  you  may  expect  the 
'*  event  in  safety ;  for  though  there  be  no  appear- 
"  ance  of  any  stir,  yet  I  say  they  shall  receive  a 
"  terrible  blow  this  parliament,  and  yet  they  shall 
"  not  see  who  hurts  them.     This  counsel  is  not  to 


c  Eccles.  X.  20.  Green,   near   Aldgate.      Good- 

*^   [Then   living    at    Bethnul     man's  iNIeni.  I.  104.] 


effectual. 


348  The  Church  Histori/  book  x, 

A.  D.  1605."  be  contemned,  because  it  may  do  you  good,  and 

4  James.     ,,  ,  ,  ,>  1  i  •  . 

. "  can  do  you  no  harm  ;   tor  the  danger  is  past  so 

"  soon  as  you  have  burnt  the  letter.  And  I  hope 
"  God  will  give  you  the  grace  to  make  good  use  of 
"•  it :  to  whose  holy  protection  I  commend  you  ^." 

A  strange  letter,  from  a  strange  hand,  by  a  strange 
messenger ;  without  date  to  it,  name  at  it,  and,  I 
had  almost  said,  sense  in  it ; — a  letter  which,  even 
when  it  was  opened,  was  still  sealed,  such  the 
affected  obscurity  therein. 
The  first  33.  The  lord  Mounteagle,  as  loyalty  advised  him, 
proves  in-  commuuicates  the  letter  to  the  earl  of  Salisbury,  he 
to  the  king :  his  majesty,  on  the  second  perusal, 
expounded  the  mystical  blow  meant  therein  must  be 
by  gunpoM'der,  and  gives  order  for  searching  the 
rooms  under  the  parliament  house,  under  pretence 
to  look  for  lost  hangings  which  were  conveyed  away. 
The  first  search,  about  evening,  discovered  nothing 
but  Percy's  cellar,  full  of  wood,  and  Johnson,  his 
man,  (under  that  name  was  Faux  disguised,)  attend- 
ing therein.  However,  the  name  of  Percy  and 
sight  of  Faux  so  quickened  the  jealousy  of  the  lord 

e    [The    authorship   of   this  was  condemned  to  die  for  har- 

letter   has   been   attributed    to  bouring  Garnet  and  Oldcorne 

several  persons.      See  Jardine,  at  his  house   in   Hendlip,   but 

p.  62.     That  writer,  however,  was  saved  by  the  influence  of 

is  mistaken  in  supposing   that  lord  Mounteagle.  Bishop Good- 

the  conjecture   v.'hich  ascribed  man,  hon'ever,  who  had  excel- 

it  to  Mrs.  Habington,  sister  of  lent  means  of  discovering  the 

the  lord  Mounteagle,  was  not  truth,  positively  asserts  that  the 

expressed  till  nearly  a  century  letter  was  written  by  Tresham, 

after   the  event  occurred;  for  "  a  man  of  a  good  estate,  and 

Wood  expressly  attributes  it  to  "  a  strict  catholic;"  but  other- 

her,  upon  the  authority  of  sir  wise  weak  in  his  intellects,  and 

William  Dugdale.  Ath.II.i  10.  led  by  others  of  greater   cun- 

She  was  the  wife  of  the  cele-  uiiig.     Memoirs,  I.  104.] 
brated  Thomas  Habington,  who 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  349 

Moiniteagle,  tliat  this  first  slight  search  led  to  a.A.i).  ir>o5. 
second  scrutiny,  more  strictly  and  secretly  per-  "^l^!!!- 
formed. 

34.  This  was  made   at  midnight,  by  sir  Thomas  Tiie  stcvwui 
Knyvett,  gentleman  of  his  majesty's  privy  chamber,  ^^"',!;.s  au." 
and    others,    into    the  vault    under    the    parliament 
house.     There  the  mystery  of  iniquity  was  quickly 
discovered  :  a  pile  of  fuel,  faced  over  with   billets, 

lined  under  with  thirty-six  barrels  of  powder,  besides 
iron  bars,  to  make  the  force  of  the  fire  more  effec- 
tual. Guido  Faux  was  apprehended  in  the  outward 
room,  with  a  dark  lantern  in  his  hand,  (the  lively 
emblem  of  their  design,  whose  dark  side  was  turned 
to  man,  whiles  the  light  part  Avas  exposed  to  God,) 
and  three  matches,  ready  to  give  fire  to  the  train. 
This  caitiff  professed  himself  only  grieved  that  he 
was  not  in  the  inner  room,  to  blow  himself  and 
them  all  up  together ;  affirming,  moreover,  that  "  not 
"  God,  but  the  devil,  made  the  discovery  of  the 
"  plot." 

35.  Meantime   Catesby,  Percy,  Rook  wood,  both  The  traitors 
the  Wrights,  and   Thomas  Winter,   were    hovering  taken, 
about   London  to   attend   the   issue  of  the   matter. 
Having  sat  so  long  abrood,  and  hatching-  nothing, 

they  began  to  suspect  all  their  eggs  had  proved 
addle  ;  yet,  betwixt  hope  and  fear,  they  and  their 
servants  post  down  into  the  country,  through  War- 
wick and  Worcester  into  Staffordshire.  Of  ti-aitors 
they  turn  felons,  breaking  up  stables  and  stealing 
horses  as  they  went ;  but  many  of  their  own  men, 
by  a  far  more  laAA'ful  felony,  stole  away  from  their 
masters,  leaving  them  to  shift  for  themselves.  The 
neighbouring  counties  and  their  own  consciences 
rise  up  against  these  riotous  roisters,  as  yet  unknown 


350  The  Church  Historij  book  x. 

A.  D.  ir>o5.for  traitors.  At  last  sir  Ricliard  Walsh,  higli  sheriff* 
_l_l!!l!Il_  of  Worcestershire,  overtook  them  at  Ilolbeck  in 
Staffordshire,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Stephen  Littleton, 
where,  upon  their  resistance,  the  two  Wrights  were 
killed,  Rookwood  and  Thomas  Winter  shrewdly 
wounded. 
Catesi.y  36.  As  for  Percj  and  Catesby,  they  fought  despe- 

fi(<ht  despe- rately  for  their  lives,  as  knowing  no  quarter,  but 
SSfves.  quartering,  anouUI  be  given  unto  them ;  and,  as  if 
they  scorned  to  turn  their  backs  to  any  but  them- 
selves, setting  back  to  back,  they  fought  against  all 
that  assaulted  them.  Many  swords  were  drawn  upon 
them ;  but  gunpowder  must  do  the  deed,  which  dis- 
charged that  bullet  which  dispatched  them  both  ^ 
Never  were  two  bad  men's  deaths  more  generally 
lamented  of  all  good  men,  only  on  this  account, 
that  they  lived  no  longer  to  be  forced  to  a  farther 
discovery  of  their  secret  associates. 
The  Lord  37.  It  must  uot  be  forgotten  how,  some  hours 
before  their  apprehension,  as  these  plotters  were 
drying  dank  gunpowder  in  an  inn,  a  miller  casually 
coming  in,  (haply  not  heeding  the  black  meal  on 
.the  hearth,)  by  careless  casting  on  of  a  billet,  fired 
the  gunpowder :  up  flies  the  chimney,  w  ith  part  of 
the  house ;  all  therein  are  frighted,  most  hurt,  but 
especially  Catesby  and  Rookwood  had  their  faces 
soundly  scorched  ;   so  bearing  in  their  bodies,  not 


f  [They  were  shot  through  p.    86.       Goodman    does    not 

the  body,  as  they  stood  back  scruple  to  say  that  sir  Kobert 

to  back,  by  two  bullets   from  Cecil  gave  special  charge  and 

one  musket,  and  died  worthy  direction    not    to    take    them 

of  a  better  cause.     See  a  very  alive  ;    "  who,"   continues    the 

interesting    account    of    their  bishop,  "  it  may  be,  would  have 

death,     quoted     from     father  "  revealed    some    evil    counsel 

Greenway's    MS.    in   Jardine,  "  given."     IMemoirs,  I.  107.] 


CENT.  xvn.  of  Bntaiu.  351 

arlyiuaTa,  the  marks  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  s,  but  a.  d.  1605. 

'•••i-firii'ii  4  James. 

the  print  of  their  own  ini})ieties".     >VeIl  might  they —^ 

guess  how  good  tliat  tlieir  cup  of  cruelty  was,  whose 
dregs  they  meant  others  should  drink,  by  this  little 
sip  which  they  themselves  had  unwillingly  tasted 
thereof. 

38.  The  rest  were  all  at  London  solemnly  arraigned,  I'lie  rest 
convicted,  condemned.     So  foul  the  fact,  so  fair  the  executed, 
proof,  they  could  say  nothing  for  themselves.   Master 
Tresham   dying  in   the   prison ',  prevented  a  more 
ignominious  end  ^. 

i.  Sir  Everard  Digby,  Robert  Winter,  Grant,  and 
Bates,  were  hanged,  drawn,  and  quartered,  at  the 
west  end  of  St.  Paul's.  Three  of  them,  but  espe- 
cially sir  Everard  Digby,  died  very  penitently  and 
devoutly ;  only  Grant  expressed  most  obstinacy  at 
his  end. 

ii.  Thomas  Winter,  Ambrose  Rookwood,  Keyes, 
and  Faux,  were  executed  as  the  former  in  the  Par- 
liament-yard in  Westminster.  Keyes  followed  Grant 
in  his  obstinacy,  and  Faux  shewed  more  penitency 
than  all  the  rest  ^ 

iii.  Garnet,  provincial  of  the  English  Jesuits,  was 
arraigned  some  weeks  after  by  four  several  names  '", 
and  executed  on  the  Saturday,  which,  he  said,  was 
called  institutio  crucis ;  —  of  whom  largely  in  the 
next  year. 

They  all  craved  testimony  that  they  died  Roman 

g  Gal.  vi.  17.  '   [Of  poison,   according    to 

h   [See    sir   Edward   Coke's  bishop  Goodman.      lb.] 

speech  at  the  trial,  in  Jardine,  ^   [Winwood's  Papers,  II.  p. 

p.  135,  who    gives    a    slightly  189.] 

different  version  of  this  anec-  I  Stow's  Chron.  p.  881. 

dote.]  ™  Stow,  p.  882. 


352  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A,  D.I  605  catholics.     My  pen  shall  grant  them  this  their  last 

^  ^™^^'   and  so  equal  petition,  and  bears  witness,  to  all  whom 

it   may  concern,  that   they  lived    and   died   in   the 

Romish  religion ;   and  although  the  heinousness  of 

their  offence  might,  with  some  colour  of  justice,  have 

angered    severity  into   ci-uelty  against  them,  yet  so 

favourably  were  they  proceeded  with,  that  most  of 

their  sons  or  heirs  (except  since  disinherited  by  their 

own   prodigality)   at   this    day   enjoy  their  paternal 

possessions. 

The  pre-         39-    Heavcn   having    thus   defeated   hell    of   its 

r^sthume  desired    success,   earth    since   hath    endeavoured   to 

'■^P,?''        defraud  heaven  of  its  deserved  praise.     A  posthume 

justly  cen-  ^  ^ 

sured.  report  is  brought  forth  into  the  world  (nursed,  as  it 
is  fit,  by  the  mothers  thereof)  that  king  James  was 
privy  to  this  plot  all  along,  and  that  his  observing 
ran  parallel  with  the  traitors  acting  therein  ;  so  that 
he  could  discover  it  when  he  pleased,  but  was  not 
pleased  to  discover  it  until  the  eve  of  the  fifth  of 
November ; — a  fancy  inconsistent  with  that  ordinary 
piety  which  all  charitable  men  must  allow  king 
James  as  a  Christian,  and  with  that  extraordinary 
policy  which  his  adversaries  admire  in  him  as  a 
statesman  °.     Was  it  probable  that  he  would  tempt 


1   [Thisj  however,  is  Good-  "  it,  that  it  was  by  gunpowder; 

man's  assertion,   no  enemy  to  "  and    the    very  night    before 

king   James,    but    rather   very  "  the  parliament  began  it  was 

lenient  in  his  judgment  of  the  "  to    be    discovered,    to    make 

king's  actions:   "  This  letter,"  "  the  matter  the  more  odious, 

he  says,  "  my  lord  IMounteagle  "  and     the     deliverance    more 

"  did   instantly  impart   to  the  "  miraculous.      No    less    than 

"  secretary  ;  the  secretary  did  "  the   lord   chamberlain    must 

"  instantly  acquaint   the 'king  "  search  for  it  and  discover  it, 

"  and     some    of    the    council  "  and  Faux  with  his  dark  lan- 

"  therewith  ;    the    king    must  •'  tern  must  be  apprehended." 
"  have  the  honour  to  interpret 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  353 

God   so   profanely,   as   solemnly  to   thank   him    forA.  d.  1605. 

revealing  that  to  him  which  he  knew  before?  Would  — ^"^'^^' 

king  James  his  wisdom  (not  to  say  his  wariness,  not 

to  say  his  fearfulness)  dally  so  long  with  destruction 

as  to  put  it  off  to  the  last  hour,  when  {uno  actu, 

tactu :  ictf{,  nictu)  all  might  have  been  confounded  ? 

Was  it  not  hard  for  him  to  equivocate  before  such 

a  master  of  equivocation  as  Garnet  the  Jesuit  was  ? 

who  certainly,  if  he  had  smelt  any  juggling  of  king 

James  therein,  would  no  doubt  have  proclaimed  it 

to  all  the  world  at  his  execution.     I  deny  not  but 

that    the    king,  both  by  intelligence    from    foreign 

parts    and    secret    information    from    those    secular 

priests    that   bishop   Bancroft    secretly   kept   in   his 

house,  was  advertised  in  general  of  some  great  plot 

which   the  Jesuited   papists  were   hatching  against 

the  ensuing  parliament ;  but  for  the  particulars,  that 

riddling  letter  brought  him  the  first  notice  thereof, 

whatsoever  is  fancied  to  the  contrary.     But  if  wild 

conjectures  in  such  cases,  from  obscure  authors,  shall 

be  permitted  to  jostle  for   credit   against  received 

records,  all  former   unquestionable   history  will  be 

quickly  reduced  to  an  universal  uncertainty.     But 

there  is  a  generation  of  peof)le  who,  to  enhance  the 

reputation  of  their  knowledge,  seem  not  only,  like 

moths,  to  have    lurked  under  the   carpets   of  the 

council-table,  but,  even   like  fleas,  to  have  leaped 


Mem.  I.  45.  It  is  clear,  from  affair,  it  is  very  certain  that 
these  and  other  passages,  tliat  Cecil  had  known  it  some  days 
Goodman  believed  that  Cecil  before  the  meeting  of  parlia- 
had  practised  upon  the  known  ment  ;  for  such  is  his  o^^'n 
timidity  of  the  king,  with  a  positive  assertion  in  his  letter 
view  to  gain  court  favour.  But  to  sir  Charles  Cornwallis.  Win- 
whatever  may  have  been  the  wood,  II.  171.] 
true  history  of  this  mysterious 

FULLER,  VOL.  V.  A  a 


354  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1605.  into  the  pillows  of  princes'  bedchambers  —  thence 
•^  ^^^^'   deriving-  their  private  knowledge  of  all  things  which 


were,  or  were  not,  ever  done  or  thought  of ;  in 
defiance  of  whom  I  add,  Give  unto  Ccesar  the  things 
that  are  CcBsar's,  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are 
God's.  Let  king  James,  by  reading  the  letter,  have 
the  credit  of  discovering  this  plot  to  the  world,  and 
God  the  glory  for  discovering  it  unto  king  James. 
Theme-         49,  A  learned  author °,  making  mention  of  this 

mory  of  " 

this  treason  troasou,  breakoth  forth  into  the  following  rapture : 

perpetuated 
by  act  of 

parliament.  «  Excidat  ilia  dies  cevo,  ne  postera  credant 

Secula ;  nos  certe  taceamm,  et  ohruta  midta 
Node  tegi  propri(B  patiamur  crimina  gentis."" 

"  O  let  that  day  be  quite  dash'd  out  of  time, 
And  not  believ'd  by  the  next  generation  ! 
In  night  of  silence  we'll  conceal  the  crime, 
Thereby  to  save  the  credit  of  our  nation." 

A  wish  which,  in  my  opinion,  hath  more  of  poetry 
than  of  piety  therein,  and  from  which  1  must  be 
forced  to  dissent ;  for  I  conceive  not  the  credit  of 
our  countrymen  concerned  in  this  plot — not  behold- 
ing this  as  a  national  act,  whose  actors  were  but  a 
party  of  a  party,  a  desperate  handful  of  discontented 
persons  of  the  papistical  faction.  May  the  day  in- 
deed be  ever  forgotten,  as  to  the  point  of  imitation, 
but  be  ever  remembered  to  the  detestation  thereof. 
May  it  be  solemnly  transmitted  to  all  posterity,  that 
they  may  know  how  bad  man  can  be  to  destroy,  and 
how  good  God  hath  been  to  deliver ;  that  especially 
we  Englishmen  may  take  notice  how  woful  we  might 
have  been,  how  happy  we  are,  and  how  thankful  we 

°  Camd.  Brit,  in  JMiddlesex.  p.  310. 


CENT.  xviT.  of  Britain.  355 

ought   to   be:    in   order  wliereunto   the  parliament  a.  d.  1605. 

(first    moved    therein   by  sir  Edward  Mountagne  p,  J '— 

afterward  baron  of  Boughton)  enacted  an  annual 
and  constant  memorial  of  that  day  to  be  observed. 

41.  Certainly,  if  this    plot    had   took   effect,  the  Just  com- 
papists    would    have    celebrated    this    day   with    all  [he  day  is 
solemnity,  and  it  should  have  taken  the  upper  hand  "bservS 
of  all  other  festivals ;  the  more  therefore  the  shame 

and  pity,  that  amongst  protestants  the  keeping  of 
this  day  (not  as  yet  full  fifty  years  old)  begins 
already  to  wax  weak  and  decay ;  so  that  the  red 
letters,  wherein  it  is  written,  seem  daily  to  grow 
dimmer  and  paler  in  our  English  calendar.  God 
forbid  that  our  thankfulness  for  this  great  deliver- 
ance, formerly  so  solemnly  observed,  should  hereafter 
be  like  the  squibs  which  the  apprentices  in  London 
make  on  this  day,  and  which  give  a  great  flash,  and 
crack  at  the  first,  but  soon  after  go  out  in  a  stink  ! 

42.  Matthew  Hutton,  archbishop  of  York,  ended  The  death 

I  .  .  .  .       of  arch- 

his  religious  life ;  descended  from  an  ancient  family  bishop 
of  Hutton  Hall  (as  I  take  it)  in  Lancashire,  fellow 
of  Trinity  College  in  Cambridge,  (to  the  enlarging 
whereof  he  gave  an  hundred  marks,)  afterwards 
master  of  Pembroke  Hall,  and  Margaret  professor, 
then  bishop  of  Durham  and  archbishop  of  York. 
One  of  the  last  times  that  ever  he  preached  in  his 
cathedral  was  on  this  occasion :  the  catholics  in 
Yorkshire  were  commanded  by  the  queen's  autho- 
rity to  be  present  at  three  sermons,  and  at  the  two 
first  behaved  themselves  so  obstreperously,  that  some 
of  them  were  forced  to  be  gagged  before  they  would 
be  quiet ;  the  archbishop  preached  the  last  sermon 

P  [23rd  Jan.  1606.      See  Journals  of  the  Com.  I.  p.  258.] 

A  a  2 


356  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1605.  most  gravely  and  solidly,  taking  for  his  text  John 
s^Maes^  viii.  47,  He  that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words ;  ye 

therefore  hear  them  not,  because  ye  are  not  of  God. 
A  foul  mis-  43.  Here  I  must  clear  the  memory  of  this  worthy 
titled.  prelate  from  a  mistake  committed  (surely  not  wil- 
fully, but  through  false  intelligence)  by  a  pen  other- 
wise more  ingenuous,  and  professing  respect  to  him, 
and  some  familiarity  with  him. 

Sir  John  Harrington,  in  his  Additional  to  bishop 
Godwin,  page  192  =  253  : 

"  [This  archbishop]  his  eldest  son  is  a  knight  of 
"  fair  living,  and  now  or  lately  sheriff  of  Yorkshire, 
"  and  of  good  reputation.  One  other  son  he  had, 
"  that  an  ill  life  brought  to  a  worse  end :  his  name 
"  was  Luke  Hutton,  so  valiant  that  he  feared  not 
"  men  nor  laws ;  and  for  a  robbery  done  on  St. 
"  Luke's  day,  (for  name's  sake,)  he  died  as  bad  a 
"  death  (I  hope  with  a  better  mind)  than  the  thief 
"  of  whom  St.  Luke  writes.  The  archbishop  shewed 
"  herein  that  constancy  and  severity  worthy  of  his 
"  place ;  for  he  would  not  endeavour  to  save  him,  as 
"  the  world  thought,  he  easily  might." 

The  Truth. 

This  worthy  prelate  had  but  three  sons :  i.  Mark, 
M^ho  died  young ;  ii.  Sir  Timothy  Hutton,  knighted 
anno  1605,  and  sheriff  of  Yorkshire;  iii.  Sir  Thomas 
Hutton,  knight,  who  lived  and  died  also  respected  in 
his  own  country.  As  for  this  Luke  Hutton,  he  was 
not  his,  but  son  to  doctor  Hutton,  prebendary  of 
Durham. 

This  archbishop  was  a  learned  man,  excepted  even 
by  a  Jesuit,  (who  wrote  in  disgrace  of  the  English, 
as  neglecting  the  reading  of  fathers,)  and  another 


CENT.  xvn.  of  Britain.  357 

Matthew  more,  (jai  mms   in  paucis  versai'c  patrea  a. i>.  1605. 
dicitur  1.     He  founded  an  hospital  in  the  north,  and  ^  ^°°*'^- 
endowed  it  with   the  yearly  revenue  of  thirty-five 
pounds. 

44.  Two  other  bishops  this  year  also  ended  their  The  death 
lives  :  in  March,  John  Young,  doctor  in  divinity,  once  inshops  of 
master  of  Pembroke  Hall  in  Cambridge,  bishop  of  and  chi- 
Rochester,  in  which  see  he  sat  above  twenty-seven '''^^^'^''" 
years  ^ ;  and  Anthony  Watson,  fellow  of  Christ's  Col- 
lege in  Cambridge,  first  dean  of  Bristol,  and  afterwards 
bishop  of  Chichester,  whom  queen  Elizabeth   made 

her  almoner,  namely,  after  bishop  Fletcher,  at  whose 
indiscreet  second  marriage  the  queen  took  distaste. 
Bishop  Watson  died  in  September,  and  always  led  a 
single  life. 

45.  Father  Henry  Garnet  was  now  most  solemnly  Garnet's 
and    ceremoniously  brought    to   the   scaffold ;   who,  and  early 
because  he  is  cried  up  by  the  papists  for  so  precious  ^'"''"^°^**" 
a  piece  of  piety,  we  will  be  the  larger  in  the  deli- 
very of  his  true  character ;  for,  although  we  will  not 

cast  dirt  on  the  foulest  face,  it  is  fit  we  should  wash 
off  the  paint  of  counterfeit  holiness  from  the  hypo- 
critical pretenders  thereunto.  Bred  he  was  in  Win- 
chester School,  where,  with  some  other  scholars,  he 
conspired  to  cut  off  his  schoolmaster's  (Bilson's) 
right  hand  ^,  (early  his  enmity  against  authority 
retrenching  his  riot,)  but  that  his  design  was  dis- 
covered. Being  prepositor  of  the  school,  whose 
frown  or  favour  was  considerable  to  those  under  his 


1  [Campian,  in  his   X.  Ra-  *  Attested  by  bishop  Bilson, 

tiones,  p.  71.]  of  Winchester,  alive  at  Garnet's 

I"  See  bishop  Godwin  in  his  death,   and   many  years   after. 

Catalogue,    [p.  539.      He  died  See  Robert  Abbot  in  his  Anti- 

in  April.]  logia,  Epistle  to  the  Reader. 

A  a  3 


358  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.iro6.  inspection,  he  sodomitically  abused  five  or  six  of  the 
'  handsomest  youths  therein  *.  Hereupon  his  school- 
master advised  him,  yea,  he  advised  himself,  rather 
silently  to  slink  away,  than  to  stand  candidate  for  a 
repulse  in  his  preferment  to  New  College.  Over  he 
fled  to  Rome,  where,  after  some  years,  he  so  im- 
proved himself,  that  from  a  prepositor  over  boys  he 
was  made  provincial  over  men,  even  the  whole  order 
of  English  Jesuits  ^. 
Canvassed       4g    Heuce  he  returned  into  Ens^land  ^.  and  was 

m  the  '^  ' 

Tower  by  not  Only  pHvy  to,  but  a  principal  plotter  of  the 
testant  GuupowTler  Troasou.  Being  attached  and  imprisoned 
in  the  Tower,  the  earl  of  Salisbury  and  Dr.  Ovemll, 
dean  of  St.  Paul's,  with  other  divines,  repaired  unto 
him,  charging  it  on  his  conscience  for  not  revealing 
so  dangerous  a  conspiracy.  Garnet  pleaded  for  him- 
self that  it  was  concredited  unto  him  under  the 
solemn  seal  of  confession,  the  violation  whereof  he 
accounted  the  highest  impiety.  This  they  disproved, 
because  he  had  discoursed  thereof  frequently  and 
publicly  with  Catesby,  Gerard,  and  Greenwood  — 
circumstances  inconsistent  with  the  essential  secrecy 
of  confession.  Garnet  sought  to  salve  himself  with 
a  fine  distinction,  (so  fine  that  it  brake  to  pieces  in 
the  spinning,)  that  it  was  told  him  in  via  ad  con- 
fessionem — in  order  to  confession ;  which,  though 
wanting  some  formalities  thereof,  did  equally  oblige 
his  conscience  to  conceal  it. 
Confession       47.  Dean  Overall  rejoined,  that  confession  was  of 

only  of  ante  ,       ,  .       . 

facts.         ante  facts,  not  post  facts;  and  that  it  is  not  con- 

*  [Abbot,  ib.]  "  rico  Garneto  Jesuita  prodi- 

'i  ["  Antilogia  adversus  Apo-  "tore."     Lond.  4to.   1613.] 

"  logiam    Andreje    Eudaemon-  ^  [In  1586.     See  Winwood, 

"  Joliannis  Jesuitae  pro  Heii-  ib.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  359 

fession,  but  menacing,  to  impart  to  a  priest  intended  a.  d.  1606. 
villanies.  He  farther  urged  that  their  most  con-  "^  ^'"^^' 
scientious  casuists  allowed,  yea,  even  enjoined,  priests 
discovery  in  such  case,  when  a  greater  good  accrued 
by  revealing  than  concealing  such  secrecies.  "  I 
"  was  minded,"  quoth  Garnet,  "  to  discover  the  plot, 
"  but  not  the  persons  therein." 

48.  Here  the  earl  of  Salisbury  interposed :  "  And  Eari  of 

"  who,"  said  he,  *'  hindered  you  from  discovering  the  question^  ^ 
"plot?"  "Even  you  yourself,"  answered  Garnet ;  ^"'"'''■''^• 
"  for  I  knew  full  well,  should  I  have  revealed  the 
*'  plot  and  not  the  plotters,  you  would  have  racked 
"  this  poor  body  of  mine  to  pieces,  to  make  me 
"  confess."  And  now  we  have  mentioned  the  rack, 
know  that  never  any  rack  was  used  on  Garnet, 
except  a  wit-rack,  wherewith,  he  was  worsted,  and 
this  cunning  archer  outshot  in  his  own  bow ;  for, 
being  in  prison  with  father  Oldcorne,  alias  Hall, 
his  confessor,  they  were  put  into  an  equivocating 
room  J',  as  I  may  term  it,  which  pretended  nothing 
but  privacy,  yet  had  a  reservation  of  some  invisible 
persons  within  it,  earwitnesses  to  all  the  passages 
betwixt  them,  whereby  many  secrecies  of  Garnet's 
were  discovered, 

49.  In    Guildhall    he   was    arraigned   before    the  Gamet  his 
lord  mayor  and  the  lords  of  the  privy  council;  sirmen'fand 
Baptist  Hicks  (afterwards  viscount  Camden)  being  ^jJIJ^J®'""^' 
foreman  of  the  jury,  consisting  of  knights,  esquires, 

and  the  most  substantial  citizens,  whose  integrities 
and  abilities  were  above  exception.  I  see  therefore 
no  cause  why  the  defender  of  Garnet,  after  his 
death,  accuseth  those  men  as  incompetent  or  im- 

y  Abbot  in  Antilogia,  c.  i,  f.  15. 

A  a  4 


360 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A. D.I 606. proper  for  their  place,  as  if  he  would  have  had  him 
^   ^'"^^'..  tried  per  pares,  by  a  jury  of  Jesuits,  (and  would  he 
have   them    all    provincials    too?)   which  I  believe, 
though  summoned,  would  unwillingly  have  appeared 
in  that  place.     Garnet,  pleading  little  against  preg- 
nant  ])roofs,  was  condemned,  and  some  days  after 
publicly  executed  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard. 
Sreia         ^^'  ^^^^  secretary  of  the  Spanish  ambassador,  (for 
tions  dis-    we  charitably  believe  his  master  honester  and  wiser,) 

proved. 

writing  into  Spain  and  Italy  what  here  he  took  upon 
hearsay,  filled  foreign  countries  with  many  falsehoods 
concerning  Garnet's  death  ;  as  namely. 


1.  That  he  manifested 
much  alacrity  of  mind,  in 
the  cheerfulness  of  his  looks 
at  his  death.  • 

2.  His  zealous  and  fer- 
vent prayers  much  moved 
the  people, 

3.  The  people  hindered 
the  hangman  from  cutting 
the  rope  and  quartering  him 
while  alive. 

4.  The  people  so  clawed 
the  executioner,  that  he 
hardly  escaped  with  life. 

5.  When  he  held  up 
Garnet's  head  to  the  people, 
there  was  a  panic  silence, 
none  saying,  "  God  save  the 
"  king  !" 


A 
^ 


(  1.  He  betrayed  much 
servile  fear  and  consterna- 
tion of  spirit,  much  beneath 
the  erected  resolution  of  a 
martyr. 

2.  His  prayers  were  faint, 
cold,  and  perplexed,  oft  in- 
terrupted with  his  listening 
to  and  answering  of  others. 

3 .  That  favour,  by  special 
order  from  his  majesty,  was 
mercifully  indulged  unto 
him. 

4.  No  violence  was  done 
unto  him,  able  many  years 
after  to  give  a  cast  of  his 
office,  if  need  required. 

5.  Acclamations  in  that 
kind  were  as  loud  and  gene- 
ral as  heretofore  on  the 
same  occasion. 


Thus  suffered  father  Garnet;  after  whose  death 
some  subtle  persons  have  impudently  broached,  and 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  361 


other    silly   people    senselessly  believed,  a    certain  a. d.  1607. 

miracle  of  his  working,  which  we  here  relate  as  we 

find  it  reported : 

51.  John  Wilkinson,   a  thoroughpaced   catholic,  The  solemn 
living  at  St.  Omers,  posted   over  into  England,  as  net's  straw 
having  a  great  desire  to  get  and  keep  some  of  Gar- ™""'^^^^" 
net's    relics.      Great   was    his   diligence  in    coming 

early  before  others  to  the  place  of  his  execution, 
which  advantaged  him  near  to  Garnet's  person,  and 
greater  his  patience  in  staying  till  all  was  ended 
and  the  rest  of  the  people  departed ;  when,  behold  ! 
a  straw  besprinkled  with  some  drops  of  his  blood, 
and  having  an  ear  of  corn  at  the  end  thereof,  leaped 
up  on  this  Wilkinson^ — not  taking  the  rise  of  its 
leap  from  the  ground,  he  was  sure,  but  whether 
from  the  scaffold,  or  from  the  basket  wherein  Gar- 
net's head  was,  he  was  uncertain.  Was  not  this 
Wilkinson  made  of  jeat,  that  he  drew  this  straw  so 
wonderfully  unto  him  ?  Well,  however  it  came  to 
pass,  joyfully  he  departs  with  this  treasure,  and 
deposits  the  same  with  the  wife  of  Hugh  Griffith,  a 
tailor,  (a  zealot  of  his  own  religion,)  who  provided  a 
crystal  case  for  the  more  chary  keeping  thereof. 

52.  Some  weeks  after,  upon  serious  inspection  of  Garnet's 
this  straw,  the  face  of  a  man  (and  we  must  believe  appears  in 
it  was   Garnet's)  was   perceived   therein,  appearing  ^  ^*'^*^' 
on  the    outside   of  a   leaf  which   covered    a   grain 
within  it,  and  where  the  convexity  thereof  repre- 
sented the  prominency  of  the  face  with  good  ad- 
vantage.    Wilkinson,  Hugh  Griffith   and  his  wife, 
Thomas  Laithwaith,  and   others,  beheld  the  same. 


^  Abbot,  ib.  fol.  198,  out  of     story  is  taken,  with   the  con- 
whom,  for  the  main,  all    this     futation  thereof. 


362  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1607.  though  there  be  some  difference  in  their  depositions 

—  whose  eyes  had  the  first  happiness  to  discover  this 

portraiture.     Soon  after,  all  England  was  belittered 

with  the  news  of  this  straw,  and  catholics  cried  it 

up  for  no  less  than  a  miracle. 

Not  pre-         53,  There  are  two  infallible  touchstones  of  a  true 

sentlydone. 

miracle,  which  always  is  done  eJOe'to?,  presently,  and 
reXelco?,  'perfectly.  Neither  of  these,  on  examination, 
appeared  here ;  for  when  this  straw  salient  leaped 
first  up  into  Wilkinson's  lap,  it  is  to  be  presumed 
that  he,  having  it  so  long  in  his  possession,  critically 
surveyed  the  same,  the  volume  whereof  might 
quickly  be  perused  ;  and  yet  then  no  such  effigiation 
was  therein  discovered,  which  some  nineteen  weeks 
after  became  visible,  about  the  nineteenth  of  Sep- 
tember following.  Surely  had  this  pregnant  straw 
gone  out  its  full  time  of  forty  weeks,  it  would  have 
been  delivered  of  a  perfect  picture  indeed  ;  whereas, 
now  miscarrying  before  that  time,  wonder  not  if  all 
things  were  not  so  complete  therein. 
Not  per-  54.  For  the  face  therein  was  not  so  exact  as 
'  which  might  justly  entitle  heaven  to  the  workman- 
ship thereof.  Say  not  it  was  done  in  too  small  a 
scantling  to  be  accurate ;  for  Deus  est  mawimus  in 
minimis — God's  exquisiteness  appears  the  most  in 
models  ^.  Whereas,  when  witnesses  were  examined 
about  this  mock-miracle  before  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  Francis  Bowen  deposed  that  he  believed 
that  a  good  artizan  might  have  drawn  one  more 
curiously;  and  Hugh  GriflSth  himself  attested  that 
it  was  no  more  like  Garnet  than  to  any  other  man 
who  had  a  beard ;  and  that  it  was  so  small,  none 

*  Exodus  viii.  18. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  363 

could  affirm  it  to  resemble  him;  adding,  moreover, a. d.  1607. 

11  I  J  •  1         <     •        S  •James. 

that  there  ^^'as  no  glory  or  streaming  rays  about  it, 

which  some  did  imi)udently  report  ^. 

55.  However,  this  inspirited  straw  was  afterward  Garnet's 

•  1     •  •    1    I'eatifica- 

copied  out,  and  at  Home  printed  in  pomp,  with  tion  occa. 
many  superstitious  copartments  about  it — as  a  coro- thi"  mocL 
net,  a  cross,  and  nails,  more  than  ever  were  in  the '""■^'^''^• 
original.  Yea,  this  miracle,  how  silly  and  simple 
soever,  gave  the  groundwork  to  Garnet's  beatifica- 
tion by  the  pope  some  months  after.  Indeed  Garnet 
complained  before  his  death  that  he  could  not 
expect  that  the  church  should  own  him  for  a  martyr, 
and  signified  the  same  in  his  letter  to  his  dear  mis- 
tress Anne,  (but  for  her  surname  call  her  Garnet  or 
Vaux  ^  as  you  please,)  because  nothing  of  religion 
and  only  practices  against  the  state  were  laid  to  his 
charge.  It  seemed  good,  therefore,  to  his  holiness 
not  to  canonize  Garnet  for  a  solemn  saint,  much  less 
for  a  martyr,  but  only  to  beatificate  him ;  which,  if 
I  mistake  not,  in  their  heavenly  heraldry,  is  by  papists 
accounted  the  least  and  lowest  degree  of  celestial 
dignity,  and  yet  a  step  above  the  commonalty  or 
ordinary  sort  of  such  good  men  as  are  saved.  This 
he  did  to  qualify  the  infamy  of  Garnet's  death,  and 
that  the  perfume  of  this  new  title  might  outscent 


^   [The  Jesuits  carried   this  martyrs  of  that  society.      See 

absurdity  to  very  great  lengths.  Bernardin.    Geraldus,    Patavi- 

In    Spain   a    painter   was   em-  nus,  in  his  Apologia  pro  Senatu 

ployed  to  make  divers  pictures  Veneto,  or  Renati  Verdaei  Sta- 

of  Garnet,  with  this  inscription  tera,    (Lugduni    1637,  i2mo,) 

written  underneath  :  "  Henrico  p.  127,  where  the  whole  passage 

"  Garneit,  Ingles  Martoresado  is  quoted  at  length.] 
"  en  Londres,"  8ic.     See  Win-  c   [She  was  one  of  the  aunts 

wood,  II.  300.     At  Rome  his  to  lord  Vaux  of  Harrowden  in 

statue  was  placed  in  the  church  Warwickshire,     according     to 

of   the   Jesuits,    among   other  Lingard,  Hist.  VI.  48,  n.] 


364  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1607.  the  stench  of  his  treason.    But  we  leave  this  Garnet 

5  James.     ^ 

(loth  longer  to  disturb  his  blessedness)  in  his  own 

place,  and  proceed  to  such  church  matters  as  were 
transacted  in  this  present  parliament. 

Acts  56.   Evil    manners    prove    often   (thouo^h    against 

against  1      •  'n       1  \  o  O 

papists  in  their  Will)  the  parents  of  good  laws,  as  here  it  came 
but  prill"  'to  pass.  The  parliament,  begun  and  holden  at  West- 
oith  ofote-  ininster  the  fifth  of  November,  and  there  continued 
dience.  till  the  twenty-seventli  of  May  following,  enacted 
many  things  for  the  discovering  and  repressing  of 
popish  recusants,  extant  at  large  in  the  printed 
statutes;  whereof  none  was  more  effectual  than 
that  oath  of  obedience  which  every  catholic  was 
commanded  to  take,  the  form  whereof  is  here  in- 
serted ;  the  rather,  because  this  oath  may  be  tenned 
(like  two  of  Isaac's  wells,  Esek  and  Sitnah  '^)  Con- 
tention and  Hatred,  the  subject  of  a  tough  contro- 
versy betwixt  us  and  Rome,  about  the  legal  urging 
and  taking  thereof, — protestants  no  less  learnedly 
asserting,  than  papists  did  zealously  oppose  the 
same  ^. 

The  form  of  which  Oath  is  as  followeth^ : 

"  I,  A.  B.,  do  truly  and  sincerely  acknowledge, 
"  profess,  testify,  and  declare  in  my  conscience 
"  before  God  and  the  world,  that  our  sovereign  lord 
"  king  James  is  lawful  and  rightful  king  of  this 
"  realm,  and  of  all  other  his  majesty's  dominions 
"  and  countries ;  and  that  the  pope,  neither  of  him- 
"  self  nor  by  any  authority  of  the  church  or  see  of 


d  Gen.  xxvi.  20,  21.  mitted    to    archbishop    Abbot 

6     [According    to    Lingard,  and  sir  Christopher   Perkins,  a 

(Hist,   of  Eng.  VI.    69,)    the  conforming  Jesuit.] 

framing  of  this  oath  was  com-  ^  [Wilkins'  Cone.  IV.  425.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  365 

"  Rome,  or  by  any  other  means  with  any  other,  hath  a.d.  1607. 

"  any  power  or  authority  to  depose  the  knig,  or  to 

"  dispose  any  of  his  majesty's  kingdoms  or  dominions, 
"  or  to  authorize  any  foreign  prince  to  invade  or 
"  annoy  him  or  his  countries,  or  to  discharge  any  of 
"  his  subjects  of  their  allegiance  and  obedience  to 
"  his  majesty,  or  to  give  licence  or  leave  to  any  of 
"  them  to  bear  arms,  raise  tumult,  or  to  offer  any 
"  violence  or  hurt  to  his  majesty's  royal  person, 
"  state,  or  government,  or  to  any  of  his  majesty's 
"  subjects  within  his  majesty's  dominions. 

"  Also  I  do  swear  from  my  heart,  that  notwith- 
"  standing  any  declaration  or  sentence  of  excommu- 
"  nication  or  deprivation  made  or  granted,  or  to  be 
"  made  or  granted,  by  the  pope  or  his  successors,  or 
"  by  any  authority  derived  or  pretended  to  be  de- 
"  rived  from  him  or  his  see,  against  the  said  king, 
"  his  heirs  or  successors,  or  any  absolution  of  the 
"  said  subjects  from  their  obedience,  I  will  bear  faith 
"  and  true  allegiance  to  his  majesty,  his  heirs  and 
"  successors,  and  him  and  them  will  defend  to  the 
"  uttermost  of  my  power  against  all  conspiracies  and 
"  attempts  whatsoever  which  shall  be  made  against 
*'  his  or  their  persons,  their  crown  and  dignity,  by 
"  reason  or  colour  of  any  such  sentence  or  decla- 
"  ration,  or  otherwise,  and  will  do  my  best  endea- 
"  vour  to  disclose  and  make  known  unto  his  majesty, 
"  his  heirs  and  successors,  all  treasons  and  traitorous 
"  conspiracies  which  I  shall  know  or  hear  of,  to  be 
"  against  him  or  any  of  them. 

"  And  I  do  farther  swear,  that  I  do  from  my 
"  heart  abhor,  detest,  and  abjure  as  impious  and 
"  heretical,  this  damnable  doctrine  and  position, 
"  '  that  princes  which  be  excommunicated  or  de- 


36*6  The  Church  Histori/  book  x. 

A.  0.1607. "  prived  by  the  pope  may  be  deposed  or  murdered 

1-  "  by  their  subjects,  or  any  other  whatsoever.' 

"And  I  do  believe,  and  in  conscience  am  resolved, 
"  that  neither  the  pope  nor  any  person  whatsoever 
"  hath  power  to  absolve  me  of  this  oath,  or  any 
"  part  thereof,  which  I  acknowledge  by  good  and 
"  full  authority  to  be  lawfully  ministered  unto  me, 
"  and  do  renounce  all  pardons  and  dispensations  to 
"  the  contrary.  And  all  these  things  I  do  plainly 
"  and  sincerely  acknowledge  and  swear,  according 
"  to  these  express  words  by  me  spoken,  and  ac- 
"  cording  to  the  plain  and  common  sense  and  un- 
"  derstanding  of  the  same  words,  without  any  equi- 
"  vocation  or  mental  evasion,  or  secret  reservation 
"  whatsoever.  And  I  do  make  this  recognition  and 
"  acknowledgment  heartily,  willingly,  and  truly, 
"  upon  the  true  faith  of  a  Christian.  So  help  me 
"  God  &." 

This  oath  was  devised  to  discriminate  the  per- 
nicious  from    the   peaceable   papists — "sure  bind, 
"  sure  find  ;"  and  the   makers   of  this  were  neces- 
sitated  to  be   larger  therein,  because  it  is  hard  to 
strangle  equivocation,  which,  if  unable  by  might  to 
break,  will  endeavour  by  sleight  to  slip  the  halter. 
The  pope        57-  No  soouer  did  the  news  thereof  arrive  at  the 
breves        ears  of  his   holiness,  but   presently  he  dispatcheth 
against  t  ns  j^j^  \fYQ\e  iuto   England  'S  prohibiting  all  catholics 
to  take  this  oath,  so  destructive  to  their  own  souls 
and  the  see  of  Rome ;  exhorting  them  patiently  to 


&  [The   first  is  dated   22nd  430,  from  FouHs' Romish  Trea- 

Sept.  1606,  and  the  other  the  sons,  book  X.  3.] 
23rd   Aug.   1607.      Both    are         ^  See  king  James  his  Works, 

printed  in  Wilkins'  Cone.   II.  p.  250,  [ed.  1616,  folio.] 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  367 


suffer  persecution,  and  manfully  to  endure  martyr- a.  d.  1607. 

.,11  5  James. 

dom  ^    And  because  report  was  raised  that  tlie  pope 

wrote  this  breve  "  not  of  his  own  accord  and  proper 
will,  but  rather  for  the  respect  and  at  the  instigation 
of  others,"  next  year  he  sent  a  second,  to  give  faith 
and  confirmation  to  the  former  ^.  Notwithstanding 
all  which,  this  oath,  being  tendered  to,  was  gene- 
rally taken  by  catholics,  without  any  scruple  or 
regret ;  and  particularly,  George  Blackwell,  arch- 
priest  of  the  English,  being  apprehended  and  cast 
into  prison,  by  taking  this  oath  wrought  his  own 
enlargement :  which  made  cardinal  Bellarmine  (some 
forty  years  ago  acquainted  with  him)  in  his  Letters ' 
kindly  to  reprove  him  for  the  same. 

58.  And  now,  the   alarm   being    given,  whether  Pens  tilting 

.  at  pens 

this  oath  was  lawful  or  no,  both  parties  or  protest- about  the 
ants  and  papists  drew  forth  their  forces  into  the  of'Jhis  oath, 
field.  King  James  undertook  the  pope  himself — 
the  wearer  of  three  against  the  wearer  of  a  triple 
crown,  (an  even  match,) — effectually  confuting  his 
breves  ;  bishop  Andrews  takes  Bellarmine  to  task ; 
bishop  Barlow  pours  out  upon  Parsons  ;  doctor 
Morton,  doctor  Robert  Abbot,  doctor  Buckeridge, 
doctor  Collins,  doctor  Burrel,  master  Tomson,  doctor 
Peter  Moulin,  maintain  the  legality  of  the  oath, 
against  Suarez,  Eudaemon,  Becanus,  Cofteteus,  Pe- 
leterius,  and  others ;  to  whose  worthy  works  the 
reader  is  referred  for  his  farther  satisfaction.  I 
may  call  at,  not  go  into  these  controversies,  lest,  by 
staying  so  long,  I  be  benighted  in  my  way ;  the 
rather,  because  the  nearer  we  approach  our  home, 


'    [See     Carte's     Hist.    III.  k   Extant,  ibid.  p.  258. 

782.3  ^  PLxtunt,  ibid.  p.  260. 


368  The  Church  History  of  Britain.  book  x. 

A.D.  1607.  the  longer  the  miles  grow; — I  mean,  matter  mul- 

'—  tiplieth  toward  the  conclusion  of  our  work.     And 

now  it  is  not  worth  the  while  to  go  into  the  con- 
temporary convocation,  where  we  meet  with  nothing 
but  formality  and  continuations  '". 

™    [Not    the     least     among  "  those  which  are  of  the  Ro- 

these   was  Dr.   Donne,"  in   his  "  man  religion  in  this  countrj'^ 

work  entitled  "Pseudo-Martyr;  "may  and  ought  to  take  the 

"  wherein,  out  of  certain  pro-  "  oath   of    allegiance.       Lond. 

"  positions  and  gradations  this  "  1610."] 
"  conclusion  is   evicted, — that 


SECT.   III. 


T  H  O  T^I  .¥.      D  A  C  R  E  S, 

DE 
CHESHUNT,  ARMIGEROa. 

Audisti  scBpius  de  rotunda  tabula,  quam  Wintonia  jactitat : 
hanc  regem  Arthurum  instituisse  ferunt ;  lie  inter  milites 
ejus  discumbentes  aliquid  discordia:  ob  irpcaTOKaOebpiav 
oriretur. 

Nosti  quales  olim  libri  fuerinf  cum  in  gyrum  rotarentnr. 
Hinc  adhuc  inter  Latinos  volumen  a  volvendo  obtinet. 
Nihil  igitur  interest  quo  ordine  patroni  mei  collocentur, 
cum  in  circulari  forma  inter  primum  et  imum  nihil  sit 
discriminis. 

Sed  quorsum  hwc !  Cum  genus  tuum,  licet  splendidum,  (tanta 
est  comitas,  quce  te  illustrem  reddidit)  nonfastuose  consulas. 
Tibi  omnia  prospera.      Vale. 


a  [Arms.  Argent,  a  chevron 
sable  between  three  torteaux 
charged  with  as  many  scalops 
of  the  first. 

Eldest  son  of  sir  Thomas 
Dacres,  of  Cheshunt,  knight, 
and  IMartha  daughter  of  Tho- 
mas Elmes,  Esq.,  of  Lil- 
ford  in  the  county  of  North- 
ampton. He  married  Eliza- 
beth daughter  of  sir  Robert 
Austen,  bart.,  of  Bexley  in 
Kent.  In  1614  he  was  she- 
riflF  of  the  county,  and  in  1660 

FUM.ER,  vol..  V. 


nominatedforoneof  the  knights 
of  the  Royal  Oak.  Probably 
for  the  zeal  and  bravery  shewn 
by  himself  and  his  family  in 
defence  of  the  royal  cause. 
(See  Lloyd's  Worthies,  p.  682.) 
Several  of  this  family  enjoyed 
the  dignity  of  sheriffs  in  their 
county,  (see  further  the  Pisgah 
Sight,  p.  408,  and  the  Worthies, 
II.  62,  64,)  and  were  connected 
by  marriage  with  the  family  of 
the  celebrated  sir  Robert  At- 
kins.] 

Bb 


370 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D  1607. 

5  James. 

The  names, 
places,  and 
sevei-al 
employ- 
ments of 
the  trans- 
lators (if 
the  Bible. 


E  may  remember  that  one  of  the  best 
things  produced  by  Hamj)ton  Court 
conference  was  a  resolution  in  his 
majesty  for  a  new  translation  of  the 
Bible  :  which  religious  design  was  now 
effectually  prosecuted,  and  the  translators,  being 
seven  and  forty  in  number,  digested  into  six  com- 
panies, and  several  books  assigned  them,  in  order 
as  followeth,  according  unto  the  several  places 
wherein  they  were  to  meet,  confer,  and  consult 
together;  so  that  nothing  should  pass  without  a 
general  consent  ^. 

Westminster  10. 

The  Pentateuch  ;  the  Story  from  Joshua  to  the  first 
Booh  of  the  Chronicles,  exclusively. 

Dr.  [Lancelot]  Andrews,  fellow  and  master  of 
Pembroke  Hall  in  Cambridge ;  then  dean  of  West- 
minster ;  after  bishop  of  Winchester. 

Dr.  [John]  Overall,  fellow  of  Trinity  College, 
master  of  Katherine  Hall  in  Cambridge  ;  then  dean 
of  St.  Paul's ;  after  bishop  of  Norwich. 

Dr.  [Hadrianus]  Saravia,  [D.  D.  of  Leyden.] 

Dr.  Clarke,  fellow  of  Christ  College  in  Cambridge, 
preacher  in  Canterbury. 


^  [See  the  king's  letter  to 
tlie  bishop  of  London,  signify- 
ing his  pleasure  that  whenever 
any  parsonage  or  jjrebend  fell 
vacant  in  the  province  of  York 
or  Canterbury,  it  should  be 
reserved  for  some  of  the  fifty- 
four  persons  employed  in  trans- 
lating the  Bible  ;  and  enjoining 
the  bishops   to  seek  out  such 


persons  as  have  especial  skill  in 
tlie  Hebrew  and  Greek  tongues, 
that  they  may  be  earnestly 
charged  to  send  such  observa- 
tions as  they  may  have  made 
thereupon  to  IMr.  Lively,  Dr. 
Harding,  or  Dr.  Andrews,  dean 
of  Westminster.  Dated,  22nd 
July,  1 604.  Wilkins'  Cone. 
IV.  p.  407.] 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  371 


Dr.  rJolml    Laifield,  fellow  of  Trinity  Collefi^e  in  a.  d.  1607. 

'-  *  5  James, 

Cambridge,   parson   of   St.  Clement   Danes,     liemg^ 

skilled  in  architecture,  bis  judgment  was  much 
relied  on  for  the  fabric  of  the  Tabernacle  and 
Temple. 

Dr.  Leigh,  archdeacon  of  Middlesex,  parson  of 
Allhallows-Barking. 

Master  [Francis]  Burgley. 

Mr.  King. 

Mr.  Thompson. 

Mr.  [William]  Bedwell,  of  Cambridge,  and  (I 
think)  of  St.  John's,  vicar  of  Tottenham  nigli  Lon- 
don *^. 

Cambridge  8. 

From  the  first  of  the  Chronicles,  with  the  rest  of  the 
Story,  and  the  Hagiographa,  viz.  Job,  Psalms, 
Proverbs,  Canticles,  Ecclesiastcs. 

Master  [Edward]  Lively,  [Hebrew  reader  at 
Cambridge.] 

Mr.  [John]  Richardson,  fellow  of  Emmanuel ;  after 
D.  D.  Master  first  of  Peter  House,  then  of  Trinity 
College. 

Mr.  [Laurence]  Chaderton,  after  D.  D.  Fellow 
first  of  Christ  College,  then  master  of  Emmanuel. 

'■  [He  was  a  considerable  Wood  says,  (Ath.  III.  329,) 
Arabic  scholar,  and  employed  that  he  was  the  only  person 
to  translate  the  letters  sent  from  in  England  with  whom  the 
the  East  to  king  James.  Some  profession  of  Arabic  then  re- 
ef his  letters  are  still  preserved  mained.  He  died  about  1632, 
in  the  Bodleian.  See  Tanner's  and  has  written  some  account 
MS.  Ixxix.  He  was  presented  of  Tottenham.  Among  other 
to  the  vicarage  of  Tottenham,  labours,  he  assisted  Petro  Soave 
by  bishop  Andrews,  (see  An-  in  his  history  of  the  Council 
draws'  Life,  4to,  1650,)  pro-  of  Trent,  according  to  Lilly, 
bably  as  a  reward  for  his  la-  Life,  p.  34.  See  also  Parr'.s 
hour  in  translating  the  Bible.  Usher,  Letters,  pp.  11,  12.] 

B  b2 


372  Tlie  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1607.      Mr.  Dillingham,  fellow  of  Christ  College,  bene- 

'—  ficed  at ill  Bedfordshire,  where  he  died 

a  single  and  a  wealthy  man. 

Mr.  [Roger]  Andrews,  after  D.  D.,  brother  to  the 
bishop  of  Winchester,  and  master  of  Jesus  College. 
Mr.  Harrison,  the  reverend  vice-master  of  Trinity 
College. 

Mr.  [Robert]  Spalding,  fellow  of  St.  John's  in 
Cambridge,  and  Hebrew  professor  therein  ^. 

Mr.  [Andrew]  Biiig,  fellow  of  Peter  House  in 
Cambridge,  and  Hebrew  professor  therein,  [before 
Spalding.] 

Oxford  7. 

The  four  greater  Prophets^  with   the  Lamentations, 
and  the  twelve  lesser  Prophets. 

Dr.  [John]  Harding,  president  of  Magdalen  Col- 
lege, [and  Hebrew  reader  in  Oxford.] 

Dr.  [John]  Reynolds,  president  of  Corpus  Christi 
College. 

Dr.  [Thomas]  Holland,  rector  of  Exeter  College, 
and  king's  professor. 

Dr.  [Richard]  Kilby,  rector  of  Lincoln  College, 
and  regius  professor,  [of  Hebrew.] 

Master  [Miles]  Smith,  after  D.  D.  and  bishop  of 
Gloucester.  He  made  the  learned  and  religious 
preface  to  the  translation  ^. 

Mr.  [Richard]  Brett,  of  a  worshipful  family,  bene- 
ficed at  Quainton  in  Buckinghamshire. 

Mr.  Fairclowe,  [otherwise  called,  Daniel  Featley?] 

^  See  our  Catalogue  of  the  p.  69.     Called  '  the  very  walk- 
Hebrew    Professors    in    Cam-  ing  library,'  from  his  great  ex- 
bridge,  to   marshal   their   sue-  pertness  in  languages.    Wood's 
cession.  Alii.  I.  490.] 
e  [See  Heylyn's  Life  of  Laud, 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  373 

Cambridge  7.  ^,.?amer- 

The  Prayer  of  Manassek,  mid  the  rest  of  the 
Apocrypha. 

Dr.  [John]  Duport,  prebend  of  Ely,  and  master  of 
Jesus  College ;  [professor  of  Greek  in  the  university 
of  Cambridge.] 

Dr.  [William]  Brainthwait,  first  fellow  of  Emma- 
nuel ;  then  master  of  Gonvile  and  Caius  College. 

Dr.  Radcliffe,  one  of  the  senior  fellows  of  Trinity 
College. 

Master  [Samuel]  Ward,  Emmanuel ;  after  D.  D. 
Master  of  Sidney  College,  and  Margaret  professor. 

INIr.  [Andrew]  Downes,  fellow  of  St.  John's  Col- 
lege, and  Greek  professor. 

Mr.  [John]  Boyse,  fellow  of  St.  John's  College, 
prebend  of  Ely,  parson  of  Boxworth  in  Cambridge- 
shire ^ 

Mr.  Ward  [fellow  of  Queen's]  ;  after  D.  D.  Pre- 
bend  of  Chichester,  rector  of  Bishop- Waltham  in 

Hampshire. 

Oxford  8. 

The  four  Gospels ,  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  Apocalypse. 

Dr.  [Thomas]  Ravis,  dean  of  Christ  Church,  after- 
wards bishop  of  London. 

Dr.  [George]  Abbot,  master  of  University  College, 
afterward  archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

Dr.  [Richard]  Eedes,  [dean  of  Worcester.] 

Mr.  [Giles]  Thompson,  [afterwards  bishop  of 
Gloucester.] 

Mr.  [Henry]  Savile. 

^   [Of  this    Dr.  .Tohu    Bois,      Peck's   Desiderata  Curio.sa,  \). 
who  died  14th  Jan.  1643,  a  very      325,  ed.  4to,  1799.] 
amusing  life  will  be  found  in 

Bb  3 


374  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1607.      Dr.  John  Peryn,  [of  C.  Church,  Greek  professor.] 

'—      Dr.  Jolin  Ravens,  [of  Queen's,  subdean  of  Wells.] 

Mr.  John  Harmer,  [warden  of  Winchester  College.] 

Westminster  7. 

The  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  the  Canonical  Epistles. 

Dr.  [William]  Barlowe,  of  Trinity  Hall  in  Cam- 
bridge, dean  of  Chester,  after  bishop  of  Lincoln. 

Dr.  Hutchenson. 

Dr.  Spencer  ^. 

Mr.  Fenton. 

Mr.  Rabbet. 

Mr.  h'anderson. 

Mr.  Dakins. 
The  king's       Now,  for  the  better  ordering  of  their  proceedings, 
to  the        his    majesty   recommended   the    following  rules  by 
translators,  ^i^^^^^  ^^  ^^  ^^^^  carofully  obscrved : 

i.  The  ordinary  Bible  read  in  the  church,  com- 
monly called  the  Bishops'  Bible,  to  be  followed,  and 
as  little  altered  as  the  original  will  permit. 

ii.  The  names  of  the  prophets  and  the  holy 
writers,  with  the  other  names  in  the  text,  to  be 
retained  as  near  as  may  be,  accordingly  as  they 
are  vulgarly  used. 

iii.  The  old  ecclesiastical  words  to  be  kept,  viz. 
as  the  word  church  not  to  be  translated  congrega- 
tion, &c. 

iv.  When  any  word  hath  divers  significations,  that 
to  be  kept  which  hath  been  most  commonly  used 
by  the  most  eminent  fathers,  being  agreeable  to  the 
propriety  of  the  place  and  the  analogy  of  faith. 

g  [The  friend  of  Hooker,  Polity.  See  more  of  liini  in 
who  republished  the  first  five  Keble's  preface  to  Hooker's 
books     of     the     Ecclesiastical     V/orks,  p.  xxii.j 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  375 

V.  The    division    of  the    chapters  to  be  altered  a.  n.  1607. 
either  not  at  all,  or  as  little  as  may  be,  if  necessity  -   ''"^ ' 
so  require. 

vi.  No  marginal  notes  at  all  to  be  affixed,  but 
only  for  the  explanation  of  the  Hebrew  or  Greek 
words,  which  cannot  without  some  circumlocution 
so  briefly  and  fitly  be  expressed  in  the  text. 

vii.  Such  quotations  of  places  to  be  marginally 
set  down,  as  shall  serve  for  the  fit  reference  of  one 
scripture  to  another. 

viii.  Every  particular  man  of  each  company  to 
take  the  same  chapter  or  chapters ;  and,  having 
translated  or  amended  them  severally  by  himself 
where  he  thinks  good,  all  to  meet  together,  confer 
what  they  have  done,  and  agree  for  their  part  what 
shall  stand. 

ix.  As  any  one  company  hath  dispatched  any  one 
book  in  this  manner,  they  shall  send  it  to  the  rest, 
to  be  considered  of  seriously  and  judiciously ;  for 
his  majesty  is  very  careful  in  this  point. 

X.  If  any  company,  upon  the  review  of  the  book 
so  sent,  shall  doubt  or  differ  upon  any  places,  to 
send  them  word  thereof,  note  the  places,  and  there- 
withal send  their  reasons ;  to  which  if  they  consent 
not,  the  difference  to  be  compounded  at  the  general 
meeting,  which  is  to  be  of  the  chief  persons  of  each 
company,  at  the  end  of  the  work. 

xi.  When  any  place  of  special  obscurity  is  doubted 
of,  letters  to  be  directed  by  authority,  to  send  to 
any  learned  in  the  land,  for  his  judgment  in  such 
a  place. 

xii.  Letters  to  be  sent  from  every  bishop  to  the 
rest  of  his  clergy,  admonishing  them  of  this  trans- 

B  b  4 


376  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  i6o:.lation  in  hand ;  and  to  move  and  charge  as  many  as, 
^  ■^°"'''   being  skilful  in  the  tongues,  have   taken   pains  in 


that  kind,  to  send  his  particular  observations  to  the 
company,  either  at  Westminster,  Cambridge,  or 
Oxford. 

xiii.  The  directors  in  each  company  to  be,  the 
deans  of  Westminster  and  Chester  for  that  place, 
and  the  king's  professors  in  the  Hebrew  and  Greek 
in  each  university. 

xiv.  These  translations  to  be  used,  when  they 
agree  better  with  the  text  than  the  Bishops'  Bible, 
viz.  TindaPs,  Matthew's,  Coverdale's,  Whitchurch, 
Geneva. 

Besides  the  said  directions  before  mentioned,  three 
or  four  of  the  most  ancient  and  grave  divines  in 
either  of  the  universities,  not  employed  in  trans- 
lating, to  be  assigned  by  the  vice-chancellor,  upon 
conference  with  the  rest  of  the  heads,  to  be  over- 
seers of  the  translations,  as  well  Hebrew  as  Greek, 
for  the  better  observation  of  the  fourth  rule  above 
specified. 
Mr.  Lively  2.  The  uutimcly  death  of  Mr.  Edward  Lively 
his  death,  ^j^^^^j-j  ^yeigi^t  of  the  work  lying  on  his  skill  in  the 
Oriental  tongues)  happening  about  this  time,  {hai)py 
that  servant  whom  his  master,  when  he  cometh, 
findeth  so  doing,)  not  a  little  retarded  their  proceed- 
ings. However,  the  rest  vigorously,  though  slowly, 
proceeded  in  this  hard,  heavy,  and  holy  task,  nothing 
offended  with  the  censures  of  impatient  people,  con- 
demning their  delays  (though  indeed  but  due  deli- 
beration) for  laziness.  Our  pen  for  the  present 
taketli  its  leave  of  them,  not  doubting  but  within 


CKNT.  XVII. 


of  Britain. 


377 


two  years  to  eive  a  ffood  account  of  them,  or  rather  a.  u.  1607. 
that  they  will  give  a  good  account  of  themselves  ". 


t  ["  Four  years  were  spent 
"  in  this  first  service  ;  at  the 
"  end  whereof,  the  whole  work 
"  being  finished,  and  three 
"  copies  of  the  whole  Bible 
"  sent  from  Cambridge,  Ox- 
"  ford,  and  Westminster,  to 
"  London,  a  new  choice  was 
"  to  be  made  of  six  in  all,  two 
"  out  of  every  company,  to 
**  review  the  whole  work,  and 
"  extract  one  [copy]  out  of  all 
"  three,  to  be  committed  to  the 
"  press.  For  the  dispatch  of 
"  which  business  JMr.  Downes 
"  and  Mr.  Bois  were  sent  for 
"  up  to  London  ;  where  meet- 
"  ing  (though  Mr.  Downes 
"  would  not  go  till  he  was 
"  either  fetched  or  threatened 
"  with  a  pursuivant)  their  four 
"  fellow-labourers,  they  went 
"  daily  to  Stationers'  Hall,  and 
"  in  three  quarters  of  a  year 
"  finished  their  task.  All  which 
"  time  they  had  from  the  com- 
•'  pany  of  stationers  thirty  shil- 
"  lings  each  per  week  duly 
"  paid  them  ;  though  they  had 
"  nothina;  before  but  their  self- 

o  _  _  . 

"  rewarding    ingenious    indus- 
"  try."     Peck,  ib.  p.  333-4. 

Edward  Lively,  Hebrew  pro- 
fessor in  the  university  of  Cam- 
bridge, and  prebendary  of  Pe- 
terborough, died  in  April,  1605, 
and  was  buried  in  Surleigh 
Church  in  Essex.  Cole's  Ath. 
Cant.  IMSS.  L.  His  sermon 
was  preached  by  Dr.  Thomas 
Play  fare,  IMargaret  professor  of 
divinity  in  the  university  of 
Cambridge,  at  St.  IMary's,  May 
10, 1605  ;  the  following  extract 
from    which    sermon,    entitled 


"  The  Felicity  of  the  Faithful," 
gives   the    best   description   of 
this  good  man  :  "  This  our  dear 
"  brother,  IMr.  Edward  Lively, 
"  who  now  resteth  in  the  Lord, 
"  had  a  life  which  in  a  manner 
"  was  nothing  else  but  a  con- 
"  tinual  flood  of  many  waters, 
"  never   out    of  suits    of   law, 
"  never-ceasing   disquieters   of 
"  his    study  ;     his    goods    dis- 
"  trained,  and  his  cattle  driven 
"  off  his  ground,  as  Job's  was. 
"  His  dear  wife,  being  not  so 
"  well  able  to  bear  so  great  a 
"  flood    as   he,    even    for    very 
"  sorrow  presently  died — a  la- 
"  mentable    and    rueful    case  ! 
'•  so    many    children    to    hang 
"  upon  his  hand,  for  which  he 
"  had  never  maintenance,  nei- 
"  ther    yet   now   had  stay,  his 
"  wife  being  gone.      Well,  but 
"  that     sorrowful     time     was 
"  blown    over.      He    was     ap- 
"  pointed    to   be    one    of    the 
"  chiefest  translators  ;   and   as 
"  soon   as  it  was  known   how 
"  far    in    this    travail    he    did 
"  more  than  any  of  the  rest, 
"  he    was   very  well    provided 
"  for  in  respect  of  living ;  for 
"  which   my  lord   his  grace  of 
"  Canterbury,    [Richard    Ban- 
"  croft,]  now  living,   is   much 
"  to    be    reverenced    and     ho- 
"  noured.      But  being  so  well 
"  to  pass,  both  for  himself  and 
"  for  his  children,  suddenly  he 
"  fell  sick  :  he  was  taken  with 
"  an  ague  and  a  quinsev  both 
"  together.  The  quinsey  being, 
"  both     by    himself    and     his 
"  friends,  not  greatly  regarded, 
"  within  four  days  took  away 


378  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  irioy.      In  the  translating  of  the  Bible,  one  of  the  eminent 

i;  James. 

-^^ persons  emiHoyed  thereni  was  translated  nito  a  better 

Thedeatli    \.  ^         .  '       "^ 

of  Dr.  Rey-  life,  VIZ. 

3.  Doctor  John  Reynolds,  king's  professor  in  Ox- 
ford, born  in  Devonshire,  with  bishop  Jewel  and  Mr. 
Hooker,  and  all  three  bred  in  Corpus  Christi  Col- 
lege in  Oxford.  No  one  county  in  England  bare 
three  such  men,  (contemporary  at  large  ',)  in  what 
college  soever  they  were  bred ;  no  college  in  Eng- 
land bred  such  three  men,  in  what  county  soever 
they  were  born. 
A-stiange       4    ^his  Johu  Reynolds  at  the  first  was  a  zealous 

encounter.  "^ 

papist,  whilst  William  his  brother  was  as  earnest  a 
protestant ;  and  afterwards  Providence  so  ordered 
it,  that  by  their  mutual  disputation  John  Reynolds 
turned  an  eminent  protestant,  and  William  an  inve- 
terate papist,  in  which  persuasion  he  died. 

"  liis  life.      lie  was   professor  tlior  says  that  "  this  good  man 

"  of  the  Hebrew  tongue  in  this  "  Avas  so  anxious  in  promoting 

"  university  thirty  years,  as  his  "  the  translation  of  the  Bible, 

"  father-in-law,     Dr.    Larkyn,  "  that     oftentimes,     in     many 

"  had  been  professor  of  physic  "  men's  hearing,  he   protested 

*'  live  or  six  and  thirty  years.  "  he  had   rather    die   than    be 

"  He    was    upon    three    score  "  any    way   negligent    herein  ; 

"  years  old  when  he  died.     He  "  which,  as  some  think,  by  all 

"  wrote  a  book  of  annotations  "  likelihood  came  indeed  so  to 

*'  upon  the  first  five  small  pro-  "  pass  :   to  wit,   that  too   ear- 

"  pliets,  [Lond.  1587,  8vo,]  de-  "nest   study  and   pains  about 

"  dicated  to  that  great  patron  "  the  translation  hastened  his 

"  of  learning  and  learned  men,  "  death,    and    brought    it     on 

"  sir  Francis  Walsingham.   But  "  sooner."   Playfare's  Sermons, 

"  in    mine    opinion    he    took  ed.  1633,  vol.  II.    p.  209,  sq. 

"  greatest  pains  in   his   Chro-  There  is  a  very  interesting  let- 

"  nology,  which   he  dedicated  ter  written  by  Lively  to  arch- 

"  to  Dr.  J.  Whitgift,  the  reve-  bishop  Whitgift,  soliciting  for 

"  rend  late  archbishop  of  Can-  the  prebend  of  Peterborough, 

"  terbury.     This  book,  indeed,  among  the  Harl.  MSS.] 

"  is    full   of  hidden    learning,  i  He   was   bachelor    of  arts 

"  and  sheweth  infinite  reading  before  bishop  Jewel's  death. 
"  in    stories."      The    same  an- 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  379 

This  gave   the  occasion  to  an   excellent  copy  of  a.  i).  1607. 
verses,  concluding  with  this  tlistich  :  

Quod  ^'enns  hoc  pu^')ur  est  ?  uhi  victus  gaudet  uterque, 
Et  fiinml  alterutcr  se  superasse  dolet. 

"  What  war  is  this  ?  when  conquer'd  holh  arc  glad, 
And  either  to  have  conquerM  other  sad." 

Daniel  saith.  Many  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and 
knowledge  shall  be  increased  ^.  But  here  indeed  was 
a  strange  transcursion,  and  remarkable  the  effects 
thereof. 

5.  His  memory  was   little  less   than   miraculous,  His  admir- 
he  himself  being  the  truest  table  to  the  multitude  ^nd  pfety. 
of  voluminous  books  he  had  read  over,  whereby  he 

could  readily  turn  to  all  material  passages  in  every 
leaf,  page,  volume,  ])aragraph — not  to  descend  lower, 
to  lines  and  letters.  As  his  memory  was  a  faithful 
index,  so  his  reason  was  a  solid  judex  of  what  he 
read.  His  humility  set  a  lustre  on  all,  (admirable 
that  the  whole  should  be  so  low,  whose  several  parts 
were  so  high,)  communicative  of  which  he  knew  to 
any  that  desired  information  herein,  like  a  tree 
loaden  with  fruit,  bowing  down  its  branches  to  all 
that  desired  to  ease  it  of  the  burden  thereof,  deserv- 
ing this  epitaph  : 

Incertum  est  iitritm  doctior  mi  melior. 

6.  His  disaffection  to  the  discipline  established  in  Most  con- 
England  was  not  so  great  as  some  bishops  did  sus- his  practice 
l)ect,  or  as   more  nonconformists   did   believe.     No  [.h,*!!^^!,  of 
doubt  he  desired  the  abolishing  of  some  ceremonies  ""^"s^"*"*^- 
(for  the  ease  of  the  conscience  of  others)  to  which  in 

^  Cli.ij).  \\\.  v(.'r.  4. 


■iSO  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1607.  his  own  practice  he  did  willingly  submit,  constantly 
_L_!!^!!!_  wearing    hood    and    surplice,   and   kneeling    at   the 
sacrament.     On  his  death-bed  he  earnestly  desired 
absolution,  according  to  the  form  of  the  church  of 
England,  and  received  it  from  doctor  Holland,  whose 
hand  he  affectionately  kissed  ^  in  expression  of  the 
joy  he  received  thereby.     Doctor  Featly  made  his 
funeral  oration  in  the  college,  sir  Isaac  Wake  in  the 
university  ™. 
Mr..M,.iie       7.  About  this  time  Mr.  John  Molle,  governor  to 
and  breed-  the   lord    Ross   in   his   travels,   began    his    unhappy 
*"^-  journey  beyond  the  seas.     This  Mr.  Molle  was  born 

in  or  near  South  Molton  in  Devon.  His  youth  was 
most  spent  in  France,  where  both  by  sea  and  land 
he  gained  much  dangerous  experience.  Once  the 
ship  he  sailed  in  sprung  a  leak,  wherein  he  and  all 
his  company  had  perished,  if  an  Hollander,  (bound 
for  Guernsey,)  passing  very  near,  had  not  s[)eedily 
taken  them  in ;  which  done,  their  ship  sunk  imme- 
diately. Being  treasurer  for  sir  Thomas  Shirley,  of 
the  English  army  in  Brittany,  he  was  in  the  defeat 
of  Cambray  wounded,  taken  prisoner,  and  ransomed  ; 
Providence  designing  him  neither  to  be  swallowed 


'  Dr.    Crackenthorp    in    his  491;)   but  the  passages  quoted 

Defensio  Eccl.  Angl.  c.  69.  from  his  writings,  in  proof  of 

™  [Of  whicli  an  English  his  conformity,  by  Craken- 
translation  was  printed  by  our  thorpe,  in  the  "  Defensio  Ec- 
author  in  his  Abel  Red.,  Life  "  clesise,  &c."  must  decide  the 
of  Dr.  Reynolds,  p.  492.  Of  question  ;  more  especially  as, 
Dr.  Reynolds'  conformity  to  in  addition  to  these  authorities, 
the  church  of  England,  the  he  quotes  a  letter,  at  that  time 
testimony  of  Crakenthorpe  in  his  own  possession,  of  Dr. 
alone  would  be  sufficient,  who  Reynolds  to  archbishop  Ban- 
was  intimate  with  Reynolds,  croft,  wherein  the  Doctor  ex- 
and  originally  held  the  same  presses  his  entire  conformity  to 
l>rincipk's,  in  the  earlier  part  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of 
of  his  life,  (see  Wood's  Ath.  I.  the  church  of  England.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  381 

by  the  surges  nor  slain  by  the   sword,  but  m  due  a.  d.  1607. 

time  to  remain  a  landmark  of  Christian  patience  to- ~- 

all  posterity.  At  last  he  was  appointed  by  Thomas 
earl  of  Exeter,  who  formerly  had  made  him  examiner 
in  the  council  of  the  north,  to  be  governor  in  travel 
to  his  grandchild,  the  lord  Ross  ;  undertaking  the 
charge  with  much  reluctancy,  (as  a  presage  of  ill 
success,)  and  with  a  profession  and  a  resolution  not 
to  pass  the  Alps. 

8.  But  a  vagary  took  the  lord  Ross  to  go  to  Rome,  His  sad 

,1  1  •  ,  1  •  , »  1      1    . ,  .     dilemma. 

though  some  conceive  this  motion  had  its  root  in 
more  mischievous  brains.  In  vain  doth  Mr.  Molle 
dissuade  him,  grown  now  so  wilful  he  would  in  some 
sort  govern  his  governor.  What  should  this  good 
man  do  ?  To  leave  him,  were  to  desert  his  trust ; 
to  go  along  with  him,  was  to  endanger  his  own  life. 
At  last  his  affections  to  his  charge  so  prevailed 
against  his  judgment,  that,  unwillingly  willing,  he 
went  with  him.  Now,  at  what  rate  soever  they 
rode  to  Rome,  the  fame  of  their  coming  came  thither 
before  them ;  so  that  no  sooner  had  they  entered 
their  inn,  but  officers  asked  for  Mr.  Molle,  took  and 
carried  him  to  the  inquisition-house,  where  he  re- 
mained a  prisoner,  whilst  the  lord  Ross  was  daily 
feasted,  favoured,  entertained :  so  that  some  will 
not  stick  to  say,  that  here  he  changed  no  religion 
for  a  bad  one. 

9.  However,  such  Mr.  Molle's  glorious  constancy.  His  con- 
that   whilst  he   looked   forward   on   his   cause,   and  the  inqui- 
upwards   to   his  crown,  neither  frights  nor  flattery*"^'*'"' 
could  make  any  impression  on  him.     It  is  question- 
able whether  his  friends  did  more  pity  his  misery 

or  admire  his  patience.  The  pretence  and  allegation 
of  his  so  long  and  strict  imprisonment  was  because 


382  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A. D.  1607. he  had  translated  Du  Plessis  his  book  of  "The  Visi- 
— ^^^^  "  bility  of  the  Church"  out  of  French  into  EngHsh  ; 
but  besides,  there  were  other  contrivances  therein, 
not  so  fit  for  a  pubHc  relation.  In  vain  did  his 
friends  in  England,  though  great  and  many,  endea- 
vour his  enlargement  by  exchange  for  one  or  moe 
Jesuits  or  priests,  who  were  prisoners  here ;  papists 
beholding  this  MoUe  as  a  man  of  a  thousand,  M'ho, 
if  discharged  the  inquisition,  might  give  an  account 
of  Romish  cruelty  to  their  great  disadvantage. 
His  death        10.  lu  all  the  time  of  his  durance  he  never  heard 

in  durance,  p  i»  •        i  p  1  •  1  i 

rrom  any  rriend,  nor  any  trom  hmi,  by  word  or 
letter  "  ;  no  Englishman  being  ever  permitted  to  see 
him,  save  only  one,  viz.  Mr.  Walter  Strickland,  of 
Boynton  House  in  Yorkshire.  With  very  much  desire 
and  industry,  he  procured  leave  to  visit  him,  an  Irish 
friar  being  appointed  to  stand  by  and  be  a  witness 
of  their  discourse.  Here  he  remained  thirty  years 
in  restraint,  and  in  the  eighty-first  year  of  his  age 
died  a  prisoner,  and  constant  confessor  of  Christ  his 
cause  °.  God  be  magnified  in  and  for  the  sufferings 
of  his  saints  ! 
The  death  11.  In  tliis  year  Richard  Vaughan,  doctor  of  divi- 
Vaughan.  ^^1^7'  ^^^d  iu  St.  Johu's  College  in  Cambridge,  suc- 
cessively bishoj)  of  Bangor,  Chester,  and  London, 
ended  his  life :  a  corpulent  man,  but  spiritually 
minded,  such  his  integrity  not  to  be  bowed  (though 
force  was  not  wanting)  to  any  base  connivance  to 
wrong  the  church  he  was  placed  in.  His  many 
virtues  made  his  loss  to  be  much  bemoaned  p. 


n  So    am    I   informed   by   a  Lord  1638.    Fuller's  Worthies, 

letter  from  INIr.  Henry  IMolle,  p.  250.] 
his  son.  P  [A  Life  of  this  prelate,  by 

"  [About   the    year   of   our  archbishop  Williams,  his  chap- 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britam.  383 

12.   Greater  was   the   ffrief  which   the   death   of  a- R1607. 

5  .James. 

master  Thomas  Briffhtmaii  caused  to  the  disaffectors 


f     _  '  Mr.Hrifrht- 

of  the  church  discijjline  of  Englaud.  He  was  born  man's  innii 
in  the  town  of  Nottingham,  bred  in  Queen's  College  ing. 
in  Cambridge,  where  a  constant  ojiposition,  in  j)oint 
of  judgment  about  ceremonies,  was  maintained  be- 
tween him  and  doctor  Meryton,  afterwards  dean  of 
York.  Here  he  filled  himself  with  abilities  for  the 
ministry,  waiting  a  call  to  vent  himself  in  the 
country. 

13.  It  happened  this  very  time  that  sir  John,  son  a  patron 
to  Mr.  Peter  Osborne  ^,  (both  lovers  of  learned  and  p'*'"'*'""""*' 
godly  men,)  not  only  bought  and  restored  the  rectory 

of  Hawnes  in  Bedfordshire  (formerly  alienated)  to 
the  church,  but  also  built  thereon  from  the  ground 
a  fair  house,  which  he  furnished  with  fitting  utensils 
for  the  future  incumbent  thereof.  This  done,  at  his 
desire  of  an  able  minister,  doctor  Whitaker  recom- 
mended master  Brightman  unto  him,  on  whom  sir 
John  not  only  freely  conferred  the  living,  but  also 
the  profits  of  two  former  years,  which  the  knight 
inned  at  his  own  cost,  and  kept  in  his  possession. 

14.  Here  Mr.  Brightman  employed  himself,  both  Exceptions 
by  preaching  and  writing,  to   advance   God's  glory  ^^sTer 
and  the  good   of  the  church :   witness   his   learned  r'.'f'^^*" 
comments,  in  most  pure  Latin,  on  the  Canticles  and^'""*^- 
Revelation  ;  though  for  the  latter  greatly  grudged 

at  on  several  accounts  *" : 

lain,   is    preserved    among   the  borne,  author  of  the  Traditional 

Harleian    ]\ISS.,    6495.       See  JMemoirs     of     Elizabeth     and 

also  sir  J.  Harrington's   Cata-  James  I.  ;  who  also  had  a  son 

logue  of  Bishops,  p.  48.      He  named  John,  probably  from  his 

died  of  an  apoplexy,  and  was  grandfather.    See  Wood's  Ath. 

succeeded   by  Dr.  Kavis,  dean  vol.  I.  p.  706.] 
of  Christ  Church.]  •"  [i.  "  Scholia  in  Canticnm 

q    [Father    to    Francis    Os-  "  Canticorum.   Explicatio  par- 


384  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A. D.  1607.      i.   For  the  title  thereof,  conceived  too  insolent  for 

-^ '-any  creature  to  affix — "A  Revelation  of  the  Reve- 

"  lation  ;"  except  immediate  inspiration,  which  made 
the  lock,  had  given  the  key  unto  it. 

ii.  For  being  over-positive  in  his  interpretations; 
the  rather  because  the  reverend  Mr.  Calvin  himself, 
being  demanded  his  opinion  of  some  passages  in  the 
Revelation,  (as  a  learned  man  reporteth  S)  answered 
ingenuously,  "  that  he  knew  not  at  all  what  so 
"  obscure  a  writer  meant." 

iii.  For  over-particularizing  in  personal  expositions, 
applying  several  angels  mentioned  therein  to  the 
lord  Cromwell,  archbishop  Cranmer,  Cecil  lord  Bur- 
ley,  &c.  * ;  such  restrictiveness  being  unsuitable  with 
the  large  concernment  of  scripture :  as  if  England, 
half  an  island  in  the  western  corner,  were  more  con- 
siderable than  all  the  world  besides,  and  the  theatre 
whereon  so  much  should  be  performed  ". 

iv.  In  resembling  the  church  of  England  to  luke- 
warm Laodicea,  praising  and  preferring  the  purity  of 
foreign  protestant  churches. 


"  tis  ultimse  et  difficillimae  pro-  of  the  waters,  (if  lord  admiral, 

"  phetiae  Danielis."  Basil.1614.  it  had  been  more  proper,)  jiis- 

8vo.  tifying  the  pouring  out  of  the 

2.    "  Apocalypsis  Apocalyp-  third  vial. 

"  seos,  id  est,  Apocalypsis  D.  *i  [Cromwell,  in  his  capacity 

"  Joannis  Analysi    et    Scholiis  of  vicar-general,  he  makes  to 

"  illustrata."      Francof.    1609.  be   the    angel   with   the   sharp 

4to.]  sickle.     Rev.  xiv.  17.     See  p. 

s   Bodinus  in  his  Methodus  396.      Andreas   Eudaemon-Jo- 

Histor.  chap.  vii.  p.  310.  Amst.  hannes,    a    Jesuit,   famous    for 

1650.]  his  defence   of  father  Garnet, 

t   Chap.  xiv.    ver.   18.       He  wrote    an    answer    to    Bright- 

maketh     archbishop     Cranmer  man's  book,  entitled,    "  Casti- 

the  angel  to  have  power  over  "  gatio  Apocalypsis  Apocalyp- 

the  fire  ;  and  (chap.  xvi.  ver.  5)  "  seos     Thomas      Brightmanni 

he  makes  William  Cecil,  lord  "  Angli."     Col.    Agrip.  161 1. 

treasurer  of  England,  the  angel  1  2mo.] 


CENT.  xvn.  of  BriUiin.  385 

Indeed  his  daily  discourse  was  ao-ainst  episcopal  a.  d.  1607. 
government,   which   he   declared   would   shortly   be  ^   '*"^^^' 


pulled  down.  He  spake  also  of  great  troubles  which 
would  come  upon  the  land  ;  of  the  destruction  of 
Rome,  and  the  universal  calling  of  the  Jews,  affirm- 
ing, that  some  then  alive  should  see  all  these  things 
effected. 

15.  However,  his  life  was  most  angelical,  by  thenisangei- 
confession  of  such  who  in  judgment  dissented  from"^^  '*' 
him.     His  manner  was  always  to  carry  about  him  a 
Greek  Testament,  which   he  read   over  every  fort- 
night, reading  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts  the  first, 

the  Epistles  and  the  Apocalypse  the  second  week. 
He  was  little  of  stature,  and  (though  such  commonly 
choleric)  yet  never  known  to  be  moved  with  anger ; 
and  therefore,  when  his  pen  falls  foul  on  Romish 
superstition,  his  friends  account  it  zeal,  and  no 
passion. 

16.  His  desire  was  to  die  a  sudden  death,  if  God  His  sudden 
so  pleased,  surely  not  out  of  opposition  to  the  Eng- 
lish liturgy  praying  against  the  same,  but  for  some 
reasons  best  known  to  himself.     God  granted  him 

his  desire, — a  death  sudden  in  respect  of  the  short- 
ness of  the  time,  though  premeditated  on  and  pre- 
pared for  by  him  who  waited  for  his  change,  and, 
being  a  watchful  soldier,  might  be  assaulted,  not 
surprised  ;  for,  riding  in  a  coach  with  sir  John  Os- 
borne, and  reading  of  a  book,  (for  he  would  lose  no 
time,)  he  fainted,  and,  though  instantly  taken  out  in 
a  servant's  arms,  and  set  on  his  laj)  on  an  hillock,  all 
means  affordable  at  that  instant  being  used  for  his 
recovery,  died  on  the  place,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of 
August,  and  is  buried  in  the  chancel  of  Hawnes, 
( reverend    doctor    Bulkley    preaching    his    funeral 

FULLER,   VOL.  V.  C  C 


386  The  Church  History  book  x, 

A.  D.  1607.  sermon,)  after  he  had  faithfully  fed  his  flock  therein 

— ^—  for  fifteen  years. 

WTiencewe  17-  He  was  a  constant  student,  much  troubled 
inteiii-*'"'^  before  his  death  with  obstructions  both  of  the  liver 
gence.  ^^^^  ^^jj^  ^^^^  -^  g^ippQged  by  physicians  to  have  died 
of  the  latter,  about  the  fifty-first  year  of  his  age ; 
and  now,  no  doubt,  he  is  in  the  number  of  those 
virgins  who  were  not  defiled  with  women,,  and  follow 
the  Lamb  whithersoever  He  goeth  "  ; — who  always  led 
a  single  life,  as  preferring  a  bed  unfilled  before  a  bed 
undefiled.  This  my  intelligence  I  have  received  by 
letter,  from  my  worthy  friend  lately  gone  to  God, 
master  William  Buckly,  bachelor  of  divinity,  and 
once  fellow  of  Queen's  College  in  Cambridge,  who, 
living  hard  by  Hawnes,  at  Clifton,  at  my  request 
diligently  inquired,  and  returned  this  his  character 
from  aged,  credible  persons  familiar  with  master 
Brightman. 

18.  This  year  silently  slipped  away  in  peace, 
plenty,  and  prosperity,  being  ended  before  effec- 
tually begun,  as  to  any  memorable  church-matter 
,  therein.  Indeed  all  the  reign  of  king  James  was 
better  for  one  to  live  under  than  to  write  of,  con- 
sisting of  a  champion  of  constant  tranquillity,  with- 
out any  tumours  of  trouble  to  entertain  posterity 
with. 

An  act  for       19.  In  the  parliament  now  sitting  at  Westmin- 
Couje.      ster  y,  (in  whose  parallel  convocation  nothing  of  con- 
sequence,) the  most  remarkable  thing  enacted  was, 
the  act  made  to  enable  the  provost  and  fellows  of 
Chelsea  College  to  dig  a  trench  out  of  the  river 


*  Rev.  xiv.  4. 

T  [The  parliament  began  its  sittings  in  February.] 


CKNT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  387 

Lea,  to  erect  engines,  water- works,  &c.  to  conveyA.  d.  1609. 
and  carry  water  in  close  pipes  under  ground,  unto  ' 
the  city  of  London  and  the  suburbs  thereof,  for  the 
perpetual  maintenance  and  sustentation  of  the  pro- 
vost and  fellows  of  that  college,  and  their  successors, 
by  the  rent  to  be  made  of  the  said  waters  so  con- 
veyed^. Where,  first  lighting  on  the  mention  of 
this  college,  we  will  consider  it  in  a  fourfold  capa- 
city: 1.  As  intended  and  designed.  2.  As  growing 
and  advanced.  3.  As  hindered  and  obstructed. 
4.  As  decaying,  and  almost,  at  the  present,  ruined. 
I  shall  crave  the  reader  pardon,  if  herein  I  make 
excursions  into  many  years,  but  without  discom- 
posing of  our  chronology  on  the  margin ;  because  it 
is  my  desire,  though  the  college  be  left  imperfect, 
to  finish  and  complete  my  description  thereof,  so  far 
as  my  best  intelligence  will  extend ;  being  herein 
beholdins:  to  doctor  Samuel  Wilkinson,  the  fourth 
and  present  provost  of  that  college,  courteously 
communicating  unto  me  the  considerable  records 
thereof. 

20.  It  was  intended  for  a  spiritual  garrison,  with  The  glory 

,  ,  of  the  de- 

a  magazine  of  all  books  for  that  purpose,  where  sign. 
learned  divines  should  study  and  write  in  mainte- 
nance of  all  controversies  against  the  papists.  In- 
deed the  Romanists  herein  may  rise  up  and  condemn 
those  of  the  protestant  confession ;  for,  as  Solomon 
used  not  his  military  men  for  any  servile  work  in 
building  the  temple,  whereof  the  text  assigneth  this 
reason,  for  they  were  men  of  war  *,  so  the  Romish 

z    [|This    act    is    printed   in  principally    derived    from    our 

Stew's  Survey  of  London,  vol. i .  author.] 
p.  165,  where  there  is  also  some  ^   2  Chrou.  viii.  9. 

account    of    this    college,   but 

c  c  2 


388  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1609.  church  doth  not  burden  their  professors  with  preach- 

7  James.     .  1  •    1      •  i  u    i. 

■ Hig,   or    any  parochial    nicumbrances,   but   reserves 

them  only  for  polemical  studies  :  whereas  in  Eng- 
land the  same  man  reads,  preacheth,  catechiseth, 
disputes,  delivers  sacraments,  &c.  So  that,  were  it 
not  for  God's  marvellous  blessing  on  our  studies, 
and  the  infinite  odds  of  truth  on  our  side,  it  were 
impossible,  in  human  probability,  that  we  should 
hold  up  the  bucklers  against  them.  Besides  the 
study  of  divinity,  at  the  least  two  able  historians 
were  to  be  maintained  in  this  college,  faithfully  and 
learnedly  to  record  and  publish  to  posterity  all 
memorable  passages  in  church  and  commonwealth. 

King  James      21.  In  pursuauce  of  this  design,  his  majesty  in- 

his  mort-  .  ..  />i- 

main  and    corporatod  the  said  foundation,  by  the  name  or  king 

benefaction.  James  his  College  in  Chelsea,  and  bestowed  on  the 

same,  by  his  letters  patents,  the  reversion  of  good 

land  in  Chelsea,  then  in  possession  of  Charles  earl 

of  Nottingham,  the  lease  thereof  not  expiring  till 

about  thirty  years  hence ;  and  also  gave  it  a  capacity 

to    receive    of  his    loving    subjects    any   lands,   not 

exceeding  in   the  whole  the   yearly  value  of  three 

thousand  pounds. 

Dr.  Sut-         22.  Next  king  James  let  me  place  Dr.  Matthew 

bounty.'     Sutcliffe,  doau  of  Exeter ;  who,  though  no  prince  by 

birth,  seems  little  less  by  his  bounty  to  this  college. 

As  Araunah,  but  a  private  subject,  gave  things  as  a 

kmg  ^  to  God's  service,  such  the  royal  liberality  of 

this  doctor,  bestowing  on  this  college  the  farms  of 

i.  Kingston,  in  the  parish  of  Staverton.  ii.  Haz- 
zard,  in  the  parish  of  Harberton.  iii.  Appleton,  in 
the  parish  of  Churchstow.     iv.  Kramerland,  in  the 

^  2  Sam.  xxiv.  23. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain. 

parish  of  Stoke-Rivers  ; — all  in  the  county  of  Devon,  a.  1).i6o9. 

and,  put  together,  richly  worth  three  hundred  pounds  — L 

per  annum. 

Besides  these,  by  his  will,  dated  Nov.  1,  1628,  he 
bequeathed  unto  Dr.  John  Prideaux  and  Dr.  Clifford, 
(as  feoffees  in  trust,  to  settle  the  same  on  the  col- 
lege,) the  benefit  of  the  extent  on  a  statute  of  four 
thousand  pounds,  acknowledged  by  sir  Lewis  Stuke- 
ley,  &c. ;  a  bountiful  benefaction,  and  the  greater, 
because  the  said  doctor  had  a  daughter,  and  she 
children  of  her  own.  And  although  this  endowment 
would  scarce  make  the  pot  of  pottage  seethe  for  the 
sons  of  the  prophets  ^,  yet  what  feasts  would  it  have 
made  in  his  private  family,  if  continued  therein  ! 
Seeing,  therefore,  so  public  a  mind  in  so  private  a 
man,  the  more  the  pity  that  this  good  doctor  was 
deserted,  Uriah-like  ^,  engaged  in  the  forefront  to 
fight  alone  against  an  army  of  difficulties  which  he 
encountered  in  this  design ;  whilst  such  men  basely 
retired  from  him,  which  should  have  seasonably  suc- 
coured and  seconded  him  in  this  action. 

23.  The  fabric  of  this  college  was  begun  on  aThestmc- 
piece  of  ground  called  Thameshot,  containing  about 
six  acres,  and  then  in  possession  of  Charles  earl  of 
Nottingham,  who  granted  a  lease  of  his  temi 
therein  to  the  said  provost,  at  the  yearly  rent  of 
seven  pounds  ten  shillings.  King  James  laid  the 
first  stone  thereof,  and  gave  all  the  timber  requisite 
thereunto,  which  was  to  be  fetched  out  of  Windsor 
Forest ;  and  yet  that  long  range  of  building,  which 
alone  is  extant,  scarce  finished  at  this  day,  (thus 
made,  though  not  of  free-stone,  of  free-timber,)  as  I 

c  a  Kings  iv.  38,  39.  ^  2  Sam.  xi.  15. 

c  c  3 


390  The  Church  Hisioi-y  book  x. 

A.D.  1609.  am  informed,  cost  (O  the  dearness   of  church  and 

'—  college   work  !)   full    three    thousand   pound.     But, 

alas !  what  is  this  piece  (not  an  eighth  part)  to  a 
double  quadrant,  besides  wings  on  each  side,  which 
was  intended  ?  If  the  aged  fathers,  which  remem- 
bered the  magnificence  of  Solomon's,  wept  at  the 
meanness  of  the  second  temple  ^  such  must  needs 
be  sad  which  consider  the  disproportion  betwixt 
what  was  performed  and  what  was  projected  in  this 
college  ;  save  that  I  confess  that  the  destruction  of 
beautiful  buildings,  once  really  extant,  leave  greater 
impressions  in  men's  minds  than  the  miscarriages  of 
only  intentional  structures,  and  the  faint  ideas  of 
such  future  things  as  are  probably  propounded,  but 
never  effected. 
The  first  24.  And  here  we  will  insert  the  number  and 
fellows.  names  of  the  provost  and  first  fellows,  (and  some  of 
them  probable  to  be  last  fellows,  as  still  surviving,) 
as  they  were  appointed  by  the  king  himself,  anno 
1610,  May  8th  : 

Matthew  Sutcliffe,  dean  of  Exeter,  provost. 

i.  John  Overall,  dean  of  St.  Paul's. 

ii.  Thomas  Morton,  dean  of  Winchester. 

iii.  Richard  Field,  dean  of  Gloucester  ^ 


\ 


doctors  of  divinity. 


iv.  Robert  Abbot. 
V.  John  Spenser, 
vi.  Miles  Smith, 
vii.  William  Covell. 
viii.  John  Howson. 
ix.  John  Layfield. 
X.  Ben.  Charrier. 


^  Ezra  iii.  12. 

f  [Author  of  the  Book  of  the  Church.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  391 

xi.  Martin  Fotherby.  ^  a. d.  1609. 

••       T    1        X3  Thames. 

xii.  John  rJoys.  

xiii.  Richard  Brett.      ;  doctors  of  divinity. 

xiv.  Peter  Lilye. 

XV.  Francis  Burley. 

xvi.  William  Hellier,  archdeacon  of  Barnstable. 

xvii.  John  White,  fellow  of  Manchester  College  «. 

William  Cambden,  clarencieux.  1 ,  •  ^     . 
X  ,     TT  11  n^  ^historians. 

John  Haywood,  doctor  or  law.     J 

See,  here,  none  who  were  actual  bishops  were 
capable  of  places  in  this  college ;  and  when  some 
of  these  were  afterwards  advanced  to  bishoprics, 
others  translated  to  heaven,  king  James  by  his  new 
letters  patent,  1622,  Nov.  14,  substituted  others  in 
their  room  ;  amongst  whom  the  archbishop  of  Spa- 
lato  (but  no  more  than  dean  of  Windsor  in  England) 
was  most  remarkable. 

25.  To  advance  this  work,  his  majesty,  anno  1615,  The  king 
sent  his  letters  to  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  to  to  the  arch- 
stir  up  all  the  clergy  in  his  province  to  contribute  to  his  to^the" 
so  pious  a  work,  according  to  the  tenor  thereof  here  ^"**^'^p** 
inserted : 

"  Whereas  the  enemies  of  the  gospel  have  ever 
"  been  forward  to  write  and  publish  books  for  con- 
"  firming  of  erroneous  doctrine  and  impugning  the 
"  truth,  and  now  of  late  seem  more  careful  than 
"  before  to  send  daily  into  our  realms  such  their 
"  writings,  whereby  our  loving  subjects,  though  other- 
"  wise  well  disposed,  might  be  seduced,  unless  some 
"  remedy  thereof  should  be  provided  :  We,  by  the 

g  [Most  of  these  persons  had  been  employed  in  translatinj^ 
the  Bible.] 

c  c  4 


392  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.1609. "  advice  of  our  council,  have  lately  o-ranted  a  cor- 

7  James.  .  .  ,,  /. 

"  poration,  and  given  our  allowance  for  erecting  a 

"  college  at  Chelsea,  for  learned  divines  to  be  em- 
"  ployed  to  write,  as  occasion  shall  require,  for 
"  maintaining  the  religion  professed  in  our  king- 
"  doms,  and  confuting  the  impugners  thereof.  Where- 
"  upon  Dr.  Sutcliffe,  designed  provost  of  the  said 
"  college,  hath  now  humbly  signified  unto  us,  that 
"  upon  divers  promises  of  help  and  assistance  towards 
"  the  erecting  and  endowing  the  said  college,  he 
"  hath  at  his  own  charge  begun  and  well  proceeded 
"  in  building,  as  doth  sufficiently  appear  by  a  good 
"  part  thereof  already  set  up  in  the  place  appointed 
"  for  the  same.  We  therefore,  being  willing  to 
"  favour  and  further  so  religious  a  work,  will  and 
"  require  you  to  write  your  letters  to  the  bishops  of 
"  your  province,  signifying  unto  them  in  our  name 
"  that  our  pleasure  is  they  deal  with  the  clergy,  and 
"  others  of  their  diocese,  to  give  their  charitable 
"  benevolence  for  the  perfecting  of  this  good  work, 
"  so  well  begun.  And  for  the  better  performance  of 
"  our  desire,  we  have  given  order  to  the  said  provost 
"  and  his  associates  to  attend  you  and  others,  unto 
"  whom  it  may  appertain,  and  to  certify  us  from  time 
"  to  time  of  their  proceeding." 
[Thetford,  the  5th  of  May,  1616.] 

A  copy  of  this  his  majesty's  letter  was  sent  to  all 
the  bishops  of  England,  with  the  archbishop's  ^*  addi- 
tional letter,  in  order  as  followeth  : 

"  Now  because  it  is  so  pious  and  religious  a  work, 
"  conducing  both  to  God's  glory  and  the  saving  of 

^  [George  Abbot.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain. 

"many  a   soul  within  this  kinn^dom,  I  cannot  biit^i^- "5°9- 

*^  7  James. 

"wish   that   all    devout   and   well-affected    persons 

"  should,  by  yourself  and  the  preachers  in  your  dio- 
"  cese,  as  well  publicly  as  otherwise,  be  excited  to 
"  contribute  in  some  measure  to  so  holy  an  intend- 
"  ment,  now  well  begun.  And  although  these  and 
"  the  like  motions  have  been  frequent  in  these 
"  later  times,  yet  let  not  those  whom  God  hath 
"  blessed  with  any  wealth  be  weary  of  well-doing, 
"  that  it  may  not  be  said,  that  the  idolatrous  and 
"  superstitious  papists  be  more  forward  to  advance 
"  their  falsehoods  than  we  are  to  maintain  God's 
"  truth. 

"  Whatsoever  is  collected,  I  pray  your  lordship 
"  may  be  carefully  brought  unto  me,  partly  that  it 
"  pass  not  through  any  defrauding  hand,  and  partly 
"  that  his  majesty  may  be  acquainted  what  is  done 
"  in  this  behalf. 

"  Your  Lordship's,  &c." 

Yet,  for  all  these  hopeful  endeavours  and  collec- 
tions in  all  the  parishes  of  England,  slow  and  small 
were  the  sums  of  money  brought  in  to  this  work. 
Many  of  them  were  scattered  out  in  the  gathering 
them  up,  the  charges  of  the  collectors  consuming 
the  profit  thereof.  If  (as  it  is  vehemently  suspected) 
any  of  these  collections  be  but  detained  by  private 
persons,  I  conceive  it  no  trespass  against  Christian 
charity,  to  wish  that  the  pockets  which  keep  such 
money  may  rot  all  their  suits  that  wear  them,  till 
they  make  true  restitution  thereof. 

26.  Various   are  men's    conjectures    (as    directed  Divers  opi. 
by  their  own  interest)  what  obstructed  so  hopeful  ingihe"non^ 


394  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1609.  proceedings,  and  it  is  safer  for  me  to  recite  all  than 

7  James.  •,  „  , , 

-  L resolve  on  any  or  them. 

of*ttfe  toK        Some  ascribe  it  to, 

lege. 

i.  The  common  fatality  which  usually  attends 
noble  undertakings  ;  as  partus  octimestres,  children 
born  in  the  eighth  month  are  always  not  long-lived, 
so  good  projects  quickly  expire. 

ii.  The  untimely  death  of  prince  Henry,  our  prin- 
cipal hope,  and  the  chief  author  of  this  design  *. 
If  so, 

Eruhuit  Domino  firmius  esse  suo. 

The  modest  college  blushed  to  be  stronger 
Than  was  its  lord ;  he  dead,  it  liv'd  no  longer. 

But,  upon  my  serious  perusal  of  the  records  of  this 
college,  I  find  not  so  much  as  mention  of  the  name 
of  prince  Henry,  as  in  any  degree  visibly  contributive 
thereunto. 

iii.  The  large,  loose,  and  lax  nature  thereof,  no  one 
prime  person  (Sutcliffe  excepted,  whose  shoulders 
sunk  under  the  weight  thereof)  zealously  engaging 
therein  ;  king  James  his  maintenance  amounting  to 
little  more  than  countenance  of  the  work.  Those 
children  will  have  thin  chaps  and  lean  cheeks  who 
have  every  body,  and  yet  nobody,  nurses  unto  them. 

iv.  The  original  means  of  the  college,  principally 
founded  on  the  fluid  and  unconstant  element,  (un- 
stable as  water,)  the  rent  of  a  New  River,  when 
made ;  which  at  the  best,  thus  employed,  was  beheld 
but  as  a  religious  monopoly.  And  seeing  that  design 
then  took  no  effect,  (though  afterwards,  in  another 

i  Continuation  of  Stow's  Survey  of  London,  p.  533. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  395 

notion  and  nature,  it  was  perfected,)  no  wonder  ifAD.  1609. 
the  college  sunk  with  the  means  thereof.  — ' 

V.  Some  of  the  greatest  prelates  J,  (how  much 
self  is  there  in  all  men  !)  though  seemingly  forward, 
really  remiss  in  the  matter ;  suspecting  these  con- 
troversial divines  would  be  looked  on  as  the  i)rin- 
cipal  champions  of  religion,  more  serviceable  in  the 
church  than  themselves,  and  haply  might  acquire 
privileges  prejudicial  to  their  episcopal  jurisdiction. 

vi.  The  jealousy  of  the  universities,  beholding  this 
design  with  suspicious  eyes,  as  which  in  process  of 
time  might  prove  detrimental  unto  them  ;  two 
breasts,  Cambridge  and  Oxford,  being  counted  suffi- 
cient for  England  to  suckle  all  her  children  with. 

vii.  The  suspicion  of  some  patriots  and  commoners 
in  parliament,  such  as  carried  the  keys  of  country- 
men's coffers  under  their  girdles,  (may  I  safely  report 
what  I  have  heard  from  no  mean  mouths  ?)  that  this 
college  would  be  too  much  courtier ;  and  that  the 
divinity,  but  especially  the  history  thereof,  would 
'laKco^i^eiv,  propend  too  much  in  favour  of  king 
James,  and  report  all  things  to  the  disadvantage  of 
the  subject.  Wherefore,  though  the  said  patriots 
in  parliament  countenanced  the  act,  (as  counting  it 
no  policy  publicly  to  cross  the  project  of  king  James, 
especially  as  it  was  made  popular  with  so  pious  a 
plausibility,)  yet,  when  returned  home,  by  their  sus- 
j)icious  items  and  private  instructions,  they  beat  off 
and  retarded  people's  charities  thereunto.  The  same 
conceived  this  foundation  superfluous,  to  keep  men 
to  confute   popish   opinions  by  writings,  whilst  the 

J  This  fifth  and  sixth  ob-  must  pass  for  company  sake, 
struction  signify  nothing  to  and  are  alleged  by  some  as 
discreet     men,    however     thev      very  material. 


396  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  i6o9.mamtainers  of  them  were  every  where  connived  at 
-^ — '-  and  countenanced,  and  the   penal  laws  not  put  in 
any  effectual  execution  against  them. 

viii.  Its  being  begun  in  a  bad  time,  when  the 
world  swarmed  with  prowling  projectors  and  neces- 
sitous courtiers,  contriving  all  ways  to  get  monies. 
We  know  that  even  honest  persons,  if  strangers,  and 
casually  coming  along  with  the  company  of  those 
who  are  bad,  contract  a  suspicion  of  guilt  in  the 
opinions  of  those  to  whom  they  are  unknown  ;  and 
it  was  the  unhappiness  of  this  innocent,  yea,  useful 
good  design,  that  it  appeared  in  a  time  when  so 
many  monopolies  were  on  foot. 

ix.  Some  great  churchmen,  who  were  the  more 
backward  because  Dr.  Sutcliffe  was  so  forward 
therein.  Such  as  had  not  freeness  enough  to  go 
before  him,  had  frowardness  too  much  to  come  after 
him  in  so  good  a  design ;  the  rather  because  they 
distasted  his  person  and  opinions,  Dr.  Sutcliffe  being 
a  known  rigid  anti- remonstrant,  and,  when  old,  very 
morose  and  testy  in  his  writings  against  them  :  an 
infirmity  Avhich  all  ingenuous  people  will  pardon  in 
him,  that  hope  and  desire  to  attain  to  old  age  them- 
selves. 

Thus  have  I  opened  my  wares,  with  sundry  sorts 
of  commodities  therein,  assigning  those  reasons 
which  I  have  either  read  or  heard  from  prime  men 
of  several  interests,  and  am  confident  that  in  the 
variety,  yea,  contrariety  of  judgments  nowadays,  even 
those  very  reasons,  which  are  cast  away  by  some  as 
w^eak  and  frivolous,  will  be  taken  up,  yea,  preferred 

_,.  by  others  as  most  satisfactory  and  substantial. 

sent  sad  27-  At  tliis  present  it  hath  but  little  of  the  case, 

condition 
of  it. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  897 

and  nothing  of  the  jewel,  for  which  it  was  intended  ;  a.  d.  1609. 
ahnost  rotten  before  ripe,  and  ruinous  before  it  was — ;_^^]^ 
finished.  It  stands  bleak,  like  a  lodge  in  a  garden 
of  cucumbers,  having  plenty  of  pleasant  water  (the 
Thames)  near  it,  and  store  of  wholesome  air  about 
it,  but  very  little  of  the  necessary  element  of  earth 
belonging  vinto  it.  Yea,  since  I  am  informed,  that 
seeing  the  college  taketh  not  effect  according  to  the 
desire  and  intent  of  the  first  founders,  it  hath  been 
decreed  in  chancery,  by  the  joint  consent  of  Dr. 
Daniel  Featly,  the  third  provost  of  this  college,  and 
Dr.  John  Prideaux,  the  surviving  feoffee  intrusted  in 
Dr.  Sutcliffe's  will,  that  the  foresaid  farms  of  King- 
ston, Hazzard,  and  Appleton,  should  return  again  to 
the  possession  of  Mr.  Halce,  as  the  heir-general  to 
the  said  Dr.  Sutcliffe  :  on  what  consideration,  let 
others  inquire ;  it  is  enough  to  persuade  me  it  was 
done  in  equity,  because  done  by  the  lord  Coventry 
in  the  high  court  of  Chancery.  So  that  now  only 
the  farm  of  Kramerland,  in  Devonshire,  of  Sutcliffe's 
donation,  remains  to  this  college.  All  I  will  add  is 
this :  as  this  college  was  intended  for  controversies, 
so  now  there  is  a  controversy  about  the  college, 
costly  suits  being  lately  commenced  betwixt  William 
lord  Mounston  (who  married  the  widow  of  the  afore- 
said earl  of  Nottingham)  and  the  present  provost 
thereof,  about  the  title  of  the  very  ground  whereon 
it  is  situated. 

28.  Three  bishops,  all  Oxford  men,  ended  their  The  death 
lives  this  year:  first,  William  Overton'*,  about  theoveiton, 
beginning  of  April,  bred  in  JNIagdalene  College,  one  yux\^!  ^" 
sufficiently  severe  to  suppress  such  whom   he   sus- 

^^  [Of  Overton,  see  sir  J.  Harrington,  p.  i  17.] 


398 


The  CInirch  Histori/ 


BOOK   X. 


A.  D.  if)oq.  pected  of  nonconformity.   The  second,  Martin  Heton, 

— 1^  lirst  dean  of  Winchester,  and  then  bishop  of  Ely  '  : 

I  say  of  Ely,  which  see  had  stood  empty  almost 
twenty  years  in  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  after 
the  death  of  bishop  Cox,  so  long  the  lantern  of  that 
church  (so  artificial  for  the  workmanship  thereof'") 
wanted  a  light  to  shine  therein.  Some  suspected 
this  place,  so  long  empty,  would  never  be  filled 
again ;  seeing  no  bishopric  so  large  in  revenues  was 
so  little  in  jurisdiction,  not  having  the  small  county 
of  Cambridge  wholly  belonging  unto  it".  Some 
cunning  courtiers,  observing  this  breach  in  Ely  Min- 
ster, as  fiercely  assaulted  it,  with  hope  to  get  gain  to 
themselves.  During  the  vacancy,  it  was  offered  to 
many  churchmen,  (or  chapmen,  shall  I  say?)  but 


1  [Heton  was  much  con- 
demned for  assenting  to  the 
alienation  of  the  lands  of  his 
bishopric,  and  many  jests  were 
made  on  his  name  Mar-tin. 
Yet  why  should  blame  attach 
to  him,  who  could  be  no  more 
than  passive  in  this  business  ? 
"  As  for  changing  or  abating 
"  the  possessions  of  it,"  says 
sir  J.  Harrington,  "  the  laws 
"  then  in  force  allowed  it, 
"  though  a  most  godly  law  since 
"  hath  restrained  the  like,  and 
"  I  would  all  the  bishoprics  in 
"  England  were  but  so  well 
"  left.  Now,  to  come  to  Dr. 
"  Eaton,  he  was  compelled  in 
"  a  sort  so  to  take  it ;  for  po- 
"  (entes  cum  rogant  jubent ; 
"  and  as  long  as  there  w'as  not 
"  quid  dabis,  nor  hoc  dahis, 
"  but  heec  auferam,  the  more 
"  public  it  was,  and  by  autho- 
"  ritv  then  lawful,  he  may  be 


"  thought  the  more  free  from 
"  blame.  But  were  Ely  as 
"  good  as  ever  it  was,  it  could 
"  not  find  the  mouths  bread 
"  that  find  fault  with  his  taking 
"  it  in  that  order. — As  for  his 
"  learning  and  other  good  parts 
"  belonging  to  a  bishop,  he  is 
"  inferior  to  few  of  his  rank, 
"  as  your  highness  (prince 
"  Henry,  son  of  James  I.)  can 
"  tell,  that  have  heard  him 
"  preach  before  the  king ;  and 
"  the  last  time  I  heard  him, 
"  the  king's  majesty  said  of 
"  him,  '  that  fat  men  were  wont 
"  to  make  lean  sermons;  but 
"  his  were  not  lean,  but  larded 
"■  with  much  good  learning.'  " 
Cat.  of  Bishops,  p.  109.] 

'»  Camden's  Brit.  Cam- 
bridgeshire, p.  362. 

n  Part  is  of  the  diocese  of 
Norwich. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  BriUiin.  399 

either  their  consciences  or  coffers  woukl  not  come  a.  d.  1609. 

up  to  the  conditions  thereof.     Amongst  others,  Mr. 

Parker,  brought  up  in  Peter  House  in  Cambridge, 
and  archdeacon  of  Ely,  (saith  my  author  o,)  iniquis 
conditionibiis  cpiscopatum  ohlatum  respuit,  tantam 
opum  usuram,  nisi  salva  ecclesia,  negligens.  At  last 
(but  with  the  revenues  much  altered  and  impaired) 
it  was  conferred  on  Dr.  Heton,  who,  after  ten  years' 
possession  thereof,  died  July  14,  and  seems  the  more 
obscure  because  of  the  lustre  and  learning  of  Dr. 
Lancelot  Andrewes,  who  immediately  succeeded  him. 
The  third  bishop  deceasing  this  year,  Dec.  14,  was 
Thomas  Ravis  p,  some  time  dean  of  Christ  Church, 
and  successively  bishop  of  Gloucester  and  London, 
born  at  INIaldon  in  Surrey,  of  worthy  parentage — 
Claris  parentibiis,  saith  the  epitaph  on  his  tomb  in 
St.  Paul's,  who  left  the  memory  of  a  grave  and  good 
man  behind  him.  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten,  that  as 
he  first  had  his  learning  in  Westminster  school,  so 
he  always  continued,  both  by  his  counsel  and  coun- 
tenance, a  most  especial  encourager  of  the  studies  of 
all  deserving  scholars  belonging  to  that  foundation. 

29-  As  archbishop  Bancroft  was  driving  on  con- Nicholas 
formity  very  fiercely  throughout  all  his  province,  heg^gg""for' 
met  with  an  unexpected  rub,  which,  notwithstanding,  ^'*  clients. 


o  A  manuscript  of  the  bishops  "so  they  of  Gloucester  were 

of  Ely,  lent  me  by  Mr.  Wright.  "  more  unwilling  he  should  go 

P    [He  is  much  commended  "  thence,   he    won    in   a   short 

by  sir  John   Harrington,  who  "  space  so  great  good  liking  of 

states  that  this  prelate  was  es-  "  all  sorts  ;   insomuch  as  some 

teemed  so  highly,  that  "  he  was  "  that  can  scant  well  brook  the 

"  requested    by  them    to   take  ''  name  of  a  bishop,  yet  can  be 

"  this  bishopric,  (of  London,)  "  content  to  give  him  a  good 

"  when  many  that  sued  to  have  "  report."   Cat.  of  Bishops,  II. 

"  it  were  put  by.      But  as  he  52.] 
"  was  not  willing  to  go  thither, 


400  The  Church  Hi.stoiy  book  x. 

A.D.  1609.  he  quickly  removed  ;  for  about  this  time,  Nicholas 
Jj^^_  Fuller,  a  bencher  of  Gray's  Inn,  eminent  in  his  ])ro- 
fession,  pleaded  so  boldly  for  the  enlargement  of 
his  clients,  that  he  procured  his  own  confinement ; — 
the  case  thus  :  Thomas  Lad,  a  merchant  of  Yar- 
mouth in  Norfolk,  was  imprisoned  a  long  time  by 
the  high  commission,  and  could  not  be  bailed, 
because  (having  formerly  answered  upon  his  oath 
twice  before  the  chancellor  of  Norwich,  to  certain 
articles  touching  a  conventicle)  he  refused  to  answer 
upon  a  new  oath,  without  sight  of  his  former 
answers  1.  Richard  Mansell,  a  preacher,  charged  to 
be  a  partaker  in  a  petition  exhibited  to  the  House 
of  Commons  in  parliament,  and  refusing  the  oath 
ea^  officio  to  answer  to  certain  articles  to  him  pro- 
pounded, was  long  imprisoned  by  the  commissioners 
at  Lambeth,  and  could  not  be  bailed. 

30.  Both  prisoners  were  brought  to  the  bar,  upon 

the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  where   Nicholas  Fuller 

pleaded  they  ought  to  be  discharged,  endeavouring 

by  a  large  argument  (lately  printed)  to  prove  that 

the  ecclesiastical  commissioners  have  no  power  by 

virtue  of  their  commission  to   imprison,  to  put  to 

the  oath  ej?  officio,  or  to  fine  any  of  his  majesty's 

subjects. 

To  the  loss      Archbishop   Bancroft  got    some   legal  advantage 

liberty  and  agaiust   Mr.  Fullor  in   the    managing    thereof,   and 

®'  then  let  him  alone  to  im])rove  the  same.     Fuller's 

''  [See  a  tract  entitled^  "The  "  have  no  power  by  virtue  of 

"  Argument  of  Master  Nicho-  "  their  commission  to  imprison, 

"  las    Fuller    in    the    case    of  "  to  put  to  the  oath  ex  officio, 

"  Thomas    Lad    and    Richard  "  or  to  fine  any  of  his  majesty's 

"  Mansell,  his  clients  ;  wherein  "  subjects.      Imprinted  1607." 

"  it  is  plainly  proved  that  the  4to.] 
"  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners 


CENT.  XVII. 


ff  Britain,  401 


friends  complained,  that  only  by  the  colour  of  "ghtA^.D^^Sjo. 

and  the   rigour  of  might  he   was  cast  into   prison. 

Here  this  learned  counsellor  could  give  himself  no 
better  nor  other  advice,  but  only  pure  patience. 
Many  were  his  petitions  to  the  king  for  his  enlarge* 
ment,  whom  the  archbishop  had  pre-acquainted  with 
the  case,  representing  him  to  the  king  as  the  chani* 
pion  of  nonconformists,  so  that  there  he  lied  and 
died  in  prison.  However,  he  left  behind  him  the 
reputation  of  an  honest  man,  and  a  plentiful  estate 
to  his  family,  (besides  his  bountiful  benefaction  to 
Emmanuel  College  and  other  pious  uses,)  at  this 
day  enjoyed  by  his  grandchild,  a  gentleman  deserv- 
edly beloved  in  his  country  ^ 

31.  On  the  26th  of  October  began  the  fifth  session  The  last 

.  1  •    1  session  of  a 

of  this  long-lasting  parliament — a  session  which  may  long  pariia- 
be   found  in  the  records,  though  it  be  lost  in   our'"^"*' 
statute-book,  because  nothing  therein  was  enacted, 
as  soon  after  dissolved  by  proclamation. 

32.  Gervas  Babington,  bishop  of  Worcester,  ended  The  death 

!•/>  Tx  1  •       -vT        •       1  1  •  ^ of  Gervas 

his  pious  life.  He  w^as  born  in  JNottmghamshire,  ot  Babington. 
worshipful  extraction.  Now  although  lately  the 
chief  of  the  family,  abused  by  papists,  (otherwise  in 
himself  an  accomplished  gentleman  %)  had  tainted 
his  blood  with  treason  against  the  queen,  the  learn- 
ing, loyalty,  and  religion  of  this  worthy  prelate  may 
serve  to  rectify  the  surname,  and  justly  restore  that 
family  to  its  former  repute  with  all  posterity.  He 
was  bred  fellow  of  Trinity  College  in  Cambridge; 
first  chaplain  to  Henry  earl  of  Pembroke,  whose 
countess  made  an  exact  translation  of  the  Psalms, 


^  Master    Douse    Fuller,  of         »    Anthony    Babington,    of 
Berkshire,  esq.  Dethick  in  Derbyshire. 

FULLER,   VOL.  V.  D  d 


402  The  Chnrcli  Histon/  book  x. 

A.D.  1610.  and  they  first  procured  him  to  be  preferred  treasurer 

8  Janies.        p  t  1        i    iv 

or  Llanclan. 

His  parts        33.  He  was  soon  after  made  bishop  of  Llandaff, 
i""'"'^    which  in  merriment  he  used  to  call  Aff  *,  the  land 
thereof  long  since  being  alienated  ;  thence  was  he 
translated  to  Exeter,  thence  to  Worcester,  thence 
to  heaven.     He  was  an  excellent  pulpit-man,  happy 
in  raising  the  affections  of  his  auditory ;  which,  hav- 
ing got  up,  he  would  keep  up  till  the  close  of  his 
sermon :    an    industrious    MTiter,   witness    his   large 
comment   on  the   five  books   of  IVIoses,  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  Creed,  and  Commandments,  with  other  por- 
tions of  scripture.     Nought  else  have  I  to  observe 
of  this  bishop,  save  that  as  a  Babington's  arms  were 
argent,  ten   torteauxes,   four,   three,   two,   and    one 
gules,  the  selfsame  being  the  arms  of  the  bishopric 
of  Worcester ;  his  paternal  coat  being  just  the  same 
with  that  of  his  episcopal  see,  with  which  it  is  im- 
paled. 
The  death       34.  The  Same  year  expired  bishop  Bancroft,  arch- 
bishop       bishop  of  Canterbury.     He  was  brought  up  in  Jesus 
College  in  Cambridge,  preferred  by  degrees  to  the 
bishopric  of  London  ".     Sir  Christopher  Hatton  was 
his    patron,    who    made    him    his    examiner.       His 
adversaries  character  him  a  greater  statesman  than 
divine,   a  better  divine  than  preacher,  though   his 
printed    sermon    suflficiently   attesteth    his    abilities 
therein ' .     Being  a  Cambridge  man,  he  was  made 
chancellor  of  Oxford,  to  hold  the  scales  even  with 
Cardinal  Pole,  an  Oxford  man,  made  chancellor  of 
Cambridge. 

t  [See    sir    J.  Harrington's     archbishop    of    Canterbury    in 
Stateof  the  Church,  II.  p  173.]      1604.] 

u  [Bishop  of  London  in  1597;  ^'   [Lately  reprinted.] 


CENT.  XVII. 


ff  Britain.  40S 


idic:ited 
•om  cm- 


44.  I  find  two  faults   charged    on  his  memory,  a.  d.  1611 

.  , .    .  9  James. 

cruelty  '^  and    covetousness  —  unepiscopal   ({ualities, 

1  11  1     1  •      1  1       A'iiidic; 

seeing  a  bishop  ought  to  be  godly  and  hospitable,  n-on 
To  the  first  it  is  confessed  he  was  most  stiff  and^'^^ 
stern  to  press  conformity ;  and  what  more  usual 
than  for  offenders  to  nickname  necessary  severity  to 
be  cruelty  ?  Now  though  he  was  a  most  stout 
champion  to  assert  church  discipline,  let  me  pass 
this  story  to  posterity  from  the  mouth  of  a  person 
therein  concerned :  An  honest  and  able  minister 
privately  protested  unto  him  that  it  went  against 
his  conscience  to  conform,  being  then  ready  to  be 
deprived.  "  Which  way,"  saith  the  archbishop,  "  will 
"  you  live  if  put  out  of  your  benefice  ?"  The  other 
answered,  he  had  no  way  but  to  go  a  begging,  and 
to  put  himself  on  Divine  Providence.  "  Not  that," 
saith  the  archbishop,  "  you  shall  not  need  to  do ; 
"  but  come  to  me,  and  I  will  take  order  for  your 
"  maintenance.''  What  impression  this  made  on 
the  minister's  judgment,  I  am  not  able  to  report. 

X  [This  charge  of  cruelty,  "  a  judge.  Et  pro  peccato 
which  is  brought  by  Fuller,  is  "  magno  paululum  supplicii 
refuted  by  the  most  unexcep-  "  satis  esse  potest.  He  knew 
tionable  testimony  of  bp.  Hack-  "  that  a  pastoral  staff  was  made 
et,  who  was  not  likely  to  speak  "  to  reduce  a  wandering  sheep, 
partially  of  Bancroft.  Men-  "  not  to  knock  it  down." 
tioning  that  prelate's  conduct  The  other  charge  of  covetous- 
iu  the  high  commission  court,  ness  is  sufficiently  refuted  by 
and  comparing  it  with  the  se-  our  author,  did  it  need  any  re- 
verity  and  rigour  exercised  by  futation,  resting  only  upon  the 
his  successor, archbishop  Abbot,  testimony  of  JMr.  Wilson,  a 
the  ^vriter  says  :  "  It  was  not  writer  of  little  or  no  credit, 
"  so  in  his  predecessor  Ban-  and  whose  little  credit  is  still 
"  croft's  days,  who  would  chide  more  depreciated  by  the  cir- 
"  stoutly,  but  censure  mildly,  cumstance  of  his  work  having 

He  considered   that    he    sat  been  surreptitiously  published.] 


there  rather  as  a  father  than 


D  d  2 


ness. 


404  The  Church  tiistory  book  x. 

^Jaines""      ^^'  ^^  ^^^  ^^^  covetousness,  a  witty  writer  y  (but 
And  the     "^^^^  satirist  than  historian)  of  king  James  his  Life 

aspersion  of  rcports  tliis  pasQuin  of  him  '. 

covetoiis- 

"  Here  Hes  his  grace,  in  cold  carlh  clad. 
Who  died  with  want  of  what  he  had," 

True  it  is  he  maintained  not  the  state  of  officers  like 
predecessor  or  successor  in  housekeeping,  having  a 
citizen  tradesman  (more  acquainted  with  thrift  than 
bounty)  for  his  domestical  steward ;  yet  was  he 
never  observed  in  his  own  person  to  aim  at  the 
enriching  of  his  kindred,  but  had  intentions  to  make 
pious  uses  his  public  heir,  bequeathing  his  library 
(the  confluence  of  his  own  collections  with  his  pre^ 
decessors,  AVhitgift,  Grindal,  Parker)  to  Chelsea 
College ;  and  if  that  took  not  effect,  to  the  public 
library  in  Cambridge,  where  at  this  day  they  remain. 
His  clear  estate  at  his  death  exceeded  not  six  thou- 
sand pound,  no  sum  to  speak  a  single  man  covetous 
who  had  sat  six  years  in  the  see  of  Canterbury,  and 
somewhat  longer  in  London  ^. 

y  Arthur   Wilson,    Life    of  "  Canterbury,  Upon  the  never- 

James  I.  p.  53.  "  enough    lamented    death    of 

z  [The    death    of    Bancroft  "  Dr.  Bancroft,  that   metropo- 

was    a    great   affliction    to   the  "  litan     who    understood     the 

English  church,  and  the  loss  of  "  church  excellently,  and  had 

him   was   felt   the  more  when  "  almost  rescued  it  out  of  the 

men    contrasted    his    character  "  hands  of  the  Calvinian  party, 

with  that  of  his  successor.   The  "  and  very  much  subdued  the 

noble  historian,  describing  the  "  unruly  spirit  of  the  noncon- 

character    and    promotion    of  "  formists,    by   and    after    the 

archbishop     Abbot,     observes,  "  conference       at       Hampton 

"  that  he  had  scarce  performed  "  Court ;  countenanced  men  of 

"  any  part   of  the   office  of  a  "  the  greatest  parts  in  learning, 

"  bishop  in  the  diocese  of  Lon-  "  and  disposed  the  clergy  to  a 

"  don,  when  he  was   snatched  "  more   solid  course  of  study 

'•  from  thence  and  promoted  to  "  than    they  had    been   accus- 


CENT.  xvir. 


of'  Britain. 


405 


46.  It  is  needless  to  clean  his  memory  from  the^  p.  1611. 

9  James. 

aspersion   of  popery,  two  eminent  acts  of  his   own  — 

being  his  sufficient  compurgators:  one  in  setting  thedutedfor 
secular  priests  against  the  Jesuits,  (as  St.  Paul  did  Sh,ations. 
the  Pharisees  against  the  Sadducees,)  thereby  so 
deriding  their  languages  as  scarce  they  can  under- 
stand one  another  at  this  day;  the  other  his  for- 
wardness in  founding  Chelsea  College,  which,  as  a 
two-edged  sword,  was  to  cut  on  both  sides  to  sup- 
press papists  and  sectaries. 

47.  One  passage  more  of  this  prelate,  and  I  have  a  good  pa- 
done.     A  company  of  young  courtiers  appeared  ex- church 
traordinarily  gallant,  at   a   tilting,  far  above  their '■^^^"''^' 


"  tomed  to ;  and  if  he  had 
"  lived,  would  quickly  have 
"  extinguished  all  that  fire  in 
"  England  which  had  been 
*'  kindled  at  Geneva ;  or  if  he 
"  had  been  succeeded  by  bishop 
*'  Andrews,  bishop  Overall,  or 
"  any  man  who  understood  and 
•*  loved  the  church,  that  infec- 
"  tion  would  easily  have  been 
"  kept  out,  which  could  not 
"  afterwards  be  so  easily  ex- 
"  pelled."     Rebel.  I.  p.  156. 

Francis  Osborne  also,  a  writer 
of  a  very  different  stamp,  and 
no  friend  to  the  bishops,  freely 
acknowledges  the  great  merits 
of  Abp.  Bancroft.  Speaking  of 
his  general  policy  and  conduct, 
this  writer  tells  us  that  the  arch- 
bishop, "  illuminated  by  so  clear 
"  a  judgment,  made  so  per- 
"  feet  an  inspection  into  the  se- 
''  cular  practices  of  the  consis- 
"  tory  in  Rome,  as  he  prevented 
"  many  dangers  which  might 
"  have  otherwise  fallen  upon 
"  the  nation.  That  no  priest 
"  was  landed  any  time  in  Eng- 


"  land,  but  the  bishop  had  a 
"  perfect  character  of  his  tem- 
"  per  and  relations,  the  easier 
"  brought  about  by  him  that, 
"  in  the  extinction  of  the  pu- 
"  ritans,  owned  most  of  their 
"  tenets,  being  beside  as  rigid 
"  persecutor  of  any  who  had 
"  not  in  his  composition  the 
"  gall  of  treason  mixed  with 
"  religion.  Yet  notwithstand- 
"  ing  the  incomparable  dili- 
"  gence  of  this  prelate,  under 
"  two  princes,  for  the  preser- 
"  vation  of  peace  and  unity, 
"  he  was  abominated  by  the 
"  preciser  sort,  the  heat  of 
"  whose  zeal  appears  the  more 
"■  unnatural^  because  their 
"  mouths  were  furred  with 
"  bitter  and  unsavoury  invec- 
"  tives,  which  followed  him 
*'  after  the  hand  of  death  had 
"  hid  him  out  of  the  reach  of 
"  all  other  favour  but  \^'hat  is 
"  due  to  his  desert  from  cha- 
"  rity  and  gratitude."  Tradit, 
Mem.  61.] 

D  d  3 


406  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A. D.1611. fortunes  and  estates;  these  gave  for  a  private  motto 
'^  amongst  themselves,  Solvat  ecdesia — "Let  the  church 

"  pay  for  all."  Bancroft,  then  bishop  of  London, 
arriving  at  the  notice  thereof,  finds  on  inquiry  that 
the  queen  was  passing  a  considerable  parcel  of  church 
land  unto  them.  The  prelate  stops  the  business, 
with  his  own  and  his  friends'  interest,  leaving  these 
gallants  to  pay  the  shot  of  their  pride  and  prodi- 
gality out  of  their  own  purses.  Add  to  this  that  I 
am  credibly  informed  from  a  good  hand,  bow  in  the 
days  of  king  James,  a  Scotchman  and  a  prevalent 
courtier  had  swallowed  up  the  whole  bishopric  of 
Durham,  had  not  this  archbishop  seasonably  inter- 
posed his  power  with  the  king,  and  dashed  the 
design.  George  Abbot  succeeded  Bancroft  in  Can- 
terbury, of  whom  largely  hereafter. 

The  new         48.  And  uow,  after  lonar  expectation  and  erreat 

translation  010 

of  the  Bible  desire,  came  forth  the  new  translation  of  the  Bible, 
thTcom-  ^  (most  beautifully  printed,)  by  a  select  and  compe- 
kingjan.es,  ^®^^^  luunber  of  divines  appointed  for  that  purpose — 
some'^chosen  ^^^  ^eiug  too  many,  lest  one  should  trouble  another ; 
divines.      and  yet  many,  lest  in  any  things  might  haply  escape 
them  ;  who,  neither  coveting  praise  for  expedition, 
nor  fearing  reproach  for  slackness,  (seeing  in  a  busi- 
ness of  moment  none  deserve  blame  for  convenient 
slowness,)  had  expended  almost  three  years  in  the 
work,  not  only  examining  the  channels  by  the  foun- 
tain, translations  with  the  original,  which  was  abso- 
lutely necessary,  but  also  comparing  channels  with 
channels,  which  was  abundantly  useful,  in  the  Spa- 
nish, Italian,  French,  and  Dutch  languages  :  so  that 
their  industry,  skilfulness,  piety,  and  discretion  hath 
therein  bound  the  church  unto  them  in  a  debt  of 
special  remembrance  and  thankfulness.    These,  with 


CENT.  XVII,  of  Britain.  407 

a  Jacob,  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  mouth  o/'a.D- i6n 
the  well  of  life  ^  I  so  that  now  even  Rachel's  vt'eak 


women  may  freely  come,  both  to  drink  themselves, 
and  water  the  flocks  of  their  families  at  the  same. 

49.  But  day  shall  sooner  lack  a  night  to  attend  it,  The  came- 
and  the  sunshine  be  unseconded  with  the  sullen  the  papists 
shade,  than  a  glorious  action  shall  want  detractors  to '  ^'^'^^^'^' 
defame <*te.  The  popish  Romanists  much  excepted 
hereat.  "  Was  their  translation,"  say  they,  "  good 
"  before  ?  why  do  they  now  mend  it  ?  Was  it  not 
"  good  ?  why  then  was  it  obtruded  on  the  people  ?" 
These  observe  not,  that  whilst  thus  in  their  passion 
they  seek  to  lash  the  protestants,  their  whips  fly  in 
the  faces  of  the  most  learned  and  pious  fathers, 
especially  St.  Jerome,  who,  not  content  with  the 
former  translations  of  the  Septuagints,  Aquila,  Sy- 
machus,  and  others,  did  himself  translate  the  Old 
Testament  out  of  the  Hebrew.  Yea,  their  cavil 
recoils  on  themselves  and  their  own  Vulgar  transla- 
tion, whereof  they  have  so  many  and  diflerent 
editions  ^.     Isidorus  Clarius,  a  famous  papist,  (first  a 

a  Gen.  xxix.  10.  through  his  means  that  that 
^  "  Loca  ad  octo  millia  anno-  version  was  pronounced  au- 
"  tata  atque  emendata  a  nobis  thentic  by  the  council  of  Trent 
"  sunt."  Isid.  Clarius  in  Praef.  in  1546.  He  was  created  by 
Eibl.  Sacrosanct,  edit.  Veue-  Paul  III.  bishop  of  Fuliguo  in 
tiis,  1541.  But  which  in  the  Umbria.  His  first  emended 
following  edition  is  left  out.  edition  of  the  vulgate  Bible, 
[This  is  assuredly  a  mistake;  which  Le  Long  dates  in  1542, 
for  the  second  edition  was  (Biblioth.  Sacra,  II.  p.  219, 
printed  in  four  volumes  folio  ed.  Masch.  1793,)  was  put  into 
at  Venice,  in  1557,  in  which  the  Index  Expurgatorius,  on 
the  passage  occurs ;  though  account  of  the  passage  quoted 
Fuller's  mistake  has  been  fol-  by  Fuller ;  but  the  sentence 
lowed  by  other  writers.  De  was  afterwards  removed,  on 
Clario  was  a  native  of  Brescia,  condition  of  the  preface  and 
a  Benedictine  monk,  celebrated  prolegomena  being  expunged, 
for  his  defence  of  the  vulgate  The  preface  was,  however,  re- 
version J  and  it  was  principally  printed  as  I  have  stated.] 

D  d  4 


408 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.D.  i6ii.friar,  afterward  a  bishop,)  observed  and  amended,  as 

9  James.     .  •  i        •    i 

he  said,  eight  thousand  faults  in  the  vulgar  Latin. 

And,  since  his  time,   how  doth   the  Paris  editions 

differ  from  the   Louvain,   and   Hentenius   his  from 

them  both  !    how  infinite  are  the  differences,  many 

of  them  weighty  and  material,  of  that  which  pope 

Clement  the  Eighth  published  from  another  which 

Sixtus  Quintus,  his  immediate  predecessor,  set  forth  ! 

Thus  we  see,  to  better  and  refine  translations  hath 

been  ever  counted  a  commendable  practice,  even  in 

our  adversaries '". 

They  take       50.  Besides  this,  the  Romanists  take  exception, 

atThe'se"ve- because,   iu  this    our  new   translation,   the   various 

J^ird "noted  senses  of  words  are  set  in  the  margin.     This  they 

in  the  mar.  coucoive  a  shaking  of  the  certainty  of  the  scriptures, 

such  variations  being  as  suckers  to  be  pruned  off. 


c  [Sixtus  the  Fifth  published 
his  edition  of  the  modern  vul,. 
gate  (for  it  must  be  distin- 
guished from  the  ancient  vul- 
gate,  of  which  a  new  edition 
was  printed,  with  his  appro- 
bation prefixed,  at  Rome  in 
1588)  in  1590;  and  notwith- 
standing its  numerous  errors, 
it  was  declared  by  him  to  be 
authentic,  and  fortified  by  the 
authority  of  the  see  apostolic. 
In  1592,  however,  Clement 
VIII.,  dissatisfied  with  the 
edition  of  Sixtus,  (which  was 
suppressed  by  his  immediate 
successor,  Gregory  XIV.,)  pub- 
lished a  new  and  emended  edi- 
tion, varying,  of  course,  con- 
siderably from  that  of  1590. 
Not  completing  his  task,  how- 
ever, to  his  own  satisfaction,  in 
1593  he  put  forth  a  new  edi- 
tion   with    various    alterations 


and  corrections.  Thus  there  are 
three  authentic  Bibles,  all  forti- 
fied with  bulls,  and  all  at  vari- 
ance with  each  other.  The  vari- 
ations of  the  Clementine  from 
the  Sixtine  edition  were  ex- 
posed by  Dr.  Thomas  James, 
the  Bodleian  librarian,  in  a 
pamphlet  entitled,  "  Bellum 
"  Papale,  sive  Concordia  dis- 
"  cors  Sexti  Quinti  et  Cle- 
"  mentis  Octavi,  circa  Hiero- 
"  nymianam  editionem,"  &c. 
1606.  4to.  See  also,  by  the 
same  author,  "  A  Treatise  of 
"  the  Corruption  of  Scripture, 
"  Councils,  and  Fathers,  by 
"  the  Prelates,  Pastors,  and 
"  Pillars  of  the  Church  of 
"  Rome,  for  maintenance  of 
"  Popery  and  Irreligion."  4to. 
1612;  and  Le  Long's  "  Bib- 
"  liotheca  Sacra,"  by  Masch. 
vol.  II.  p.  234.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britam.  409 

because  they  rob  the  stock  of  the  text  of  its  dueA.D.  1611, 
credit  and  reputation  :  somewhat  conformable  where-  ^  '""*^ ' 


to,  pope  Sixtus  Quintus  expressly  forbade  that  any 
variety  of  readings  of  the  vulgar  edition  should  be 
put  in  the  margin.  But  on  serious  thoughts  it  will 
appear  that  these  translators,  affixing  the  diversity 
of  the  meaning  of  words  in  the  side  column,  deserve 
commendations  for  their  modesty  and  humility  there- 
in ;  for  though,  as  St.  Chrysostom  observeth  ^,  Travra 
TO,  avayKaia  SijXa,  "  all  things  that  are  necessary  to 
"  salvation  are  plainly  set  down  in  the  scriptures," 
yet,  seeing  there  is  much  difficulty  and  doubtfulness, 
not  in  doctrinal,  but  in  matters  of  less  importance, 
fearfulness  did  better  beseem  the  translators  than 
confidence,  entering  in  such  cases  a  caution,  where 
words  are  of  different  exceptions. 

51.  Some  of  the  brethren  were  not  well  pleased  Some  bre- 

•  1        1  •  1      •  •  •  111  1      ^^^en  com- 

with  this  translation,  suspectmg  it  would  abate  the  plain  for 
repute   of  that   of  Geneva,  with   their  annotations  Geneva  an- 
made  by  English  exiles  in  that  city,  in  the  days  of""'^"""'' 
queen    Mary,    dedicated    to    queen    Elizabeth,    and 
printed  with  the  general  liking  of  the  people  above 
thirty  times  over.     Yea,  some  complained  that  they 
could   not  see  into  the  sense  of  the   scripture  for 
lack  of  the  spectacles  of  those  Geneva  annotations ; 
for,  although  a  good  translation  is  an  excellent  com- 
ment on  the  Bible,  wherein  much  darkness  is  caused 
by  false  rendering  of  it,  and  wherein  many  seeming 
riddles  are  read,  if  the  words  be  but  read  —  ex- 
pounded,  if  but    truly  rendered ;    yet    some    short 


d  Sixtus  Quintus  Prau'f.  Bibl.     II.  Hom.  3,  p.  528.  ed.  Beued. 
ed.  1590.  1734. 

t  On  the  second  Thes.  cap. 


410  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1611.  exposition    on  the  text  was  much  desired  of  the 
— ^- — ^people.     But,  to    say  nothing    of   the    defects    and 
defaults  of  the  Geneva  annotations,  (though  the  best 
in  those  times  which  are  extant  in  English,)  those 
notes  were  so  tuned  to  that  translation  alone,  that 
they  would  jar  with  any  other,  and  could  no  way  be 
fitted  to  this  new  edition  of  the  Bible.     Leave  we 
then  these  worthy  men,  now  all  of  them  gathered  to 
their  fathers  and  gone  to  God,  however  they  were 
requited  on  earth,  well  rewarded  in  heaven  for  their 
worthy  work  :  of  whom,  as  also  of  that  gracious  king 
that  employed  them,  we  may  say,  "  Wheresoever  the 
"  Bible    shall  be   preached    or   read   in   the   whole 
"  world,  there  shall  also  this  that  they  have  done  be 
*'  told  in  memorial  of  them." 
Dr.  H.  f,  in      52.  And  as  about  this  time  some  perchance  over- 
causeiessiy  valued  the  Geueva  notes,  out  of  that  especial  love 
against  The  they  bare  to  the  authors  and  place  wdience  it  pro- 
Geneva      ceeded,  so  on  the  other  side  some  without  cause  did 

notes.  ' 

slight,  or  rather  without  charity  did  slander  the 
same ;  for  in  this  or  the  next  year  a  doctor  in 
solemn  assembly  in  the  university  of  Oxford,  pub- 
licly in  his  sermon  at  St.  Mary's,  accused  them  as 
guilty  of  misinterpretation  touching  the  divinity  of 
Christ  and  his  Messiahship,  as  if  symbolizing  with 
Arians  and  Jews  against  them  both ;  for  which  he 
was  afterwards  suspended  by  Dr.  Robert  iVbbot, 
propter  condones  publicas  minus  ortJiodoxas,  et  offen- 
sionis  flenas.  But  more  properly  hereof  (God  will- 
ing) hereafter,  in  our  particular  history  of  Oxford. 
We  will  proceed  to  report  a  memorable  passage  in 

^  [Hanson.     See  Heylyn's  Cert.  Epist.  p.  175.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Brit ai 71.  411 

the  Low  Countries,  not  fearin*^  to  lose  my  way,  or^.D.  1611. 

to  be   censured  for  a   wanderer   from  the  Engnsh 

church  story,  whilst  I  have  so  good  a  guide  as  the 
pen  of  king  James  to  lead  me  out  and  bring  me 
back  again.  Besides,  I  am  afraid  that  this  alien 
accident  is  already  brought  home  to  England,  and, 
though  only  Belgic  in  the  occasion,  is  too  much 
British  in  the  influence  thereof. 


SECT.   IV. 


TO 


A.D.1611. 
9  James. 

Dangerous 
opinions 
1)  roach  ed  by 
Conradus 
Vorstius. 


EDWARD     LLOYD,    Esq. 

Rivers  are  not  hountiful  in  giving,  hut  just  in  restoring  their 
waters  unto  the  sea  ^.  Hoicever,  they  may  seem  grateful 
also,  because  openly  returning  thither  idiat  they  secretly 
received  thence.  This  my  Dedication  unto  you  cannot 
amount  to  a  present,  hut  a  restitution,  wherein  only  I  tender 
a  puhlic  acTcw)wledgment  of  your  private  courtesies  conferred 
upon  me. 

ING  James  took  into  his  princely  care 
the  seasonable  suppression  of  the  dan- 
gerous doctrines  of  Conradus  Vorstius. 
This  doctor  had  lived  about  fifteen 
years  a  minister  at  Steinfurt,  within  the 
territories  of  the  counts  of  Tecklenburg,  Bentheim, 
&c. ;  the  counts  whereof  (to  observe  by  the  way) 
were  the  first  in  Germany,  not  in  dignity  or  domi- 


a  [The  arms  of  this  gentleman 
I  suppose  are  the  same  as  those 
of  the  Lloyds  of  Trenewith  in 
Shropshire  :  viz.  gules,  a  lion 
rampant,  regardant  or,  ungued 
and  langued,  azure.  One  of  the 
same  name  and  place  com- 
piled an  unpublished  history  of 
Shrewsbury.  In  his  earlier  days 
he  had  been  a  barrister  and  lived 
in  London ;  but  what  relation 
he  was  to  the  Lloyd  here  men- 
tioned, I  have  not  been  able  to 
discover.  He  died  in  17  15.  In 
a  MS.  note,  it  is  stated  that 


Fuller's  friend  was  related  to 
the  Lloyds  of  Gale  and  Den- 
bigh, but  their  arms  differ  from 
those  given  above.  Dr.  John 
Lloyd,  the  bishop  of  St.  David's, 
who  was  a  native  of  Monmouth- 
shire, bore  the  same  arms,  and 
was  related,  I  have  no  doubt, 
to  the  person  to  whom  this  cen- 
tury is  dedicated.  The  en- 
graver has  followed  the  cut  of 
the  arms  given  in  the  first  edi- 
tion.] 

^  Eccles.  i.  7. 


CENT.  XVII.        The  C/inrc/i  History  of  Britain.  413 

nion,  but  in  castm<^  off  the  yoke  of  papacy,  and  ever  a.d.  1611. 

^11^  g  James. 

since  continuing  protestants.  This  Vorstius  had  both 

^mtten  and  received  several  letters  from  certain 
Samosatenian  heretics  in  Poland,  or  thereabouts ; 
and  it  happened  that  he  had  handled  pitch  so  long, 
that  at  last  it  stuck  to  his  fingers,  and  became  in- 
fected therewith.  Hereupon  he  set  forth  two  books, 
the  one  entitled,  "  Tractatus  Theologicus  de  Deo," 
dedicated  to  the  landgmve  of  Hesse;  the  other, 
*'  Exegesis  Apologetica,"  printed  in  this  year,  and 
dedicated  to  the  states :  both  of  them  farced  with 
many  dangerous  positions  concerning  the  Deity.  For 
whereas  it  hath  been  the  labour  of  the  pious  and 
learned  in  all  ages  to  mount  man  to  God,  as  much 
as  might  be,  by  a  sacred  adoration  (which  the  more 
humble,  the  more  high)  of  the  divine  incomprehen- 
sibleness,  this  wretch  did  seek  to  stoop  God  to  man, 
by  debasing  His  purity,  assigning  Him  a  material 
body,  confining  His  immensity,  as  not  being  every 
where,  shaking  His  immutability,  as  if  His  will  were 
subject  to  change,  darkening  his  omnisciency,  as 
uncertain  in  future  contingents,  with  many  more 
monstrous  opinions,  fitter  to  be  remanded  to  hell 
than  committed  to  writing.  Notwithstanding  all 
this,  the  said  Vorstius  was  chosen,  by  the  curators 
of  the  university  of  Ley  den,  to  be  their  public 
divinity  professor,  in  the  place  of  Arminius,  lately 
deceased ;  and  to  that  end  his  excellency  and  the 
states-general,  by  their  letters,  sent  and  sued  to  the 
count  of  Tecklenburg,  and  obtained  of  him  that 
Vorstius  should  come  from  Steinfurt,  and  become 
public  professor  in  Leyden. 

2.  It  happened  that  his  majesty  of  Great  Britain,  Reasons 
being  this  autumn  in  his  hunting  progress,  did  light  Sng Tames 


414  The  Churcli  History  book  x. 

A. D.  161 1,  upon  and  peruse  the  aforesaid  books  of  Vorstius; 

9  James.  -         ,  .  ,      . 

and  whereas  too  many  do  but  si)ort  in  their  most 

to  oppose  , 

him.  serious  employment,  he  was  so  serious  amidst  his 

sports  and  recreations,  that  with  sorrow  and  horror 
he  observed  the  dangerous  positions  therein,  deter- 
mining speedily  to  oppose  them,  moved  thereunto 
with  these  principal  considerations:  first,  the  glory 
of  God,  seeing  this  anti-St.  John,  (as  his  majesty 
terms  him'^,)  mounting  up  to  the  heavens,  belched 
forth  such  blasphemies  against  the  divine  ineffable 
essence — and  was  not  a  king  on  earth  concerned, 
when  the  King  of  heaven  was  dethroned  from  his 
infiniteness,  so  far  as  it  lay  in  the  power  of  the 
treacherous  positions  of  an  heretic  ?  Secondly,  charity 
to  his  next  neighbours  and  allies ;  and  lastly,  a  just 
fear  of  the  like  infection  within  his  own  dominions, 
considering  their  \icinity  of  situation  and  frequency 
of  intercourse,  many  of  the  English  youth  travelling 
over  to  have  their  education  in  Leyden.  And  in- 
deed, as  it  hath  been  observed  that  the  sin  of 
drunkenness  was  first  brought  over  into  England 
out  of  the  Low  Countries  ^,  about  the  midst  of  the 
reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  (before  which  time  neither 
general  practice  nor  legal  punishment  of  that  vice 
in  this  kingdom,)  so  we  must  sadly  confess  that 
since  that  time,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  many  English 
souls  have  taken  a  cup  too  much  of  Belgic  wine, 
whereby  their  heads  have  not  only  grown  dizzy  in 
matters  of  less  moment,  but  their  whole  bodies 
stagger  in  the  fundamentals  of  their  religion. 

The  states       3^  Hereupoii  king  James  presently  dispatched  a 

entertain  r  o  i  j  i 


^  In  his  Declaration  against         '^  See   Camden's   Elizabeth, 
Vorstius,  p.  365.  anno  1 58 J. 


CENT,  XVI  [,  of  Britain.  415 

letter  to  sir  Ralph  Winwood'',  his  ambassador  resid-A.D.  1611. 

ent  with  the  states,  willing  and  requiring  hmi  to  let • 

them   understand   how  infinitely  he  should  be  dis-tionof  king 
pleased  if  such  a  monster  as  Vorstius  should  receive  j^^^^i'jgt 
any  advancement  in  their  church.  This  was  seconded  ^'•"■**""^' 

J  according 

with  a  larofe  letter   of  his  majesty's  to  the   states,  to  just  ex- 

"  '^        "I  jiectation. 

dated  October  the  sixth  %  to  the  same  effect ;  but 
neither  found  that  success  which  the  king  did  ear- 
nestly desire,  and  might  justly  expect,  considering 
the  many  obligations  of  the  crown  of  England  on 
the  states,  "  the  foundation  of  whose  commonwealth," 
as  the  ambassador  told  them  ^,  "  was  first  cemented 
"  with  English  blood."  Several  reasons  are  assigned 
of  their  non-concurrence  with  the  king's  motion. 
The  curators  of  Leyden  university  conceived  it  a 
disparagement  to  their  judgments,  if,  so  near  at 
hand,  they  could  not  so  well  examine  the  soundness 
of  Vorstius  his  doctrine  as  a  foreign  prince  at  such 
a  distance  ;  it  would  cast  an  aspersion  of  levity  and 
inconstancy  on  the  states,  solemnly  to  invite  a  stran- 
ger unto  them,  and  then  so  soon  recede  from  their 
resolution ;  an  indignity  would  redound  to  the  count 
of  Tecklenburg,  to  slight  that  which  so  lately  they 
had  sued  from  him.  The  opposition  of  Vorstius  was 
endeavoured  by  a  malcontented  party  amongst  them- 
selves, disaffected  to  the  actions  of  authority,  who, 
distrusting  their  own  strength,  had  secretly  solicited 
his  majesty  of  Great  Britain  to  appear  on  their  side ; 
that,  as  king  James  his  motion  herein  proceeded  rather 
from  the  instance  of  others  than  his  own  inclination, 
so  they  gave  out  that  he  began  to  grow  remiss  in 

d   [This  letter  is  printed  in         ^  [At  the  instigation  of  arch- 
the  king's  works,  p.  350.]  bishop  Abbot.] 

e   [Printed  ibid.  p.  354.] 


416  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  i6ri.the  matter,  careless  of  the  success  thereof;  that  it 

9  James.  i  i    i         •     • 

would  be  injurious,  yea,  destructive  to  Vorstius  and 

his  family,  to  be  fetched  from  his  own  home,  where 
he  lived  with  a  sufficient  salary,  (promised  better 
provisions  from  the  landgrave  of  Hessen,  to  be  divi- 
nity professor  in  his  dominions,)  now  to  thrust  him 
out  with  his  wife  and  children,  lately  settled  at 
Leyden  ;  that  if  Vorstius  had  formerly  been  faulty 
in  unwary  and  offensive  expressions,  he  had  since 
cleared  himself  in  a  new  declaration. 

Vorstius         4.  For  lately  he  set  forth   a  book,  entitled,  "  A 

gives  no  /- 1     •      • 

satisfaction  "  C  hristiau    aiid   modest   Answer,     which    notwith- 

in  his  new       ,  t  i  i  i 

declaration.  Standing  by  many  was  condemned  as  no  revocation, 
but  a  repetition  of  his  former  opinions,  not  less  per- 
nicious, but  more  plausible,  with  sophistical  qualifi- 
cations; so  that  he  was  accused  to  aim  neither  at 
the  satisfaction  of  the  learned,  whom  he  had  for- 
merly offended,  nor  the  safety  of  the  ignorant,  whom 
he  might  hereafter  deceive,  but  merely  his  own 
security  for  the  present.  His  grand  evasion  was 
this :  that  "  what  he  had  wrote  before  was  but 
"  probably  propounded,  not  dogmatically  delivered." 
But,  alas !  how  many  silly  souls  might  easily  be 
infected,  mistaking  his  slanting  problems  for  down- 
right positions.  In  a  word,  he  took  not  out  any 
venom,  but  put  in  more  honey  into  his  opinions, 
which  the  corruption  of  man's  nature  would  swallow 
with  more  greediness.  And  how  dangerous  it  is  for 
wit-wanton  men  to  dance  with  their  nice  distinc- 
tions on  such  mystical  precipices,  where  slips  in  jest 
may  cause  deadly  downfalls  in  earnest,  the  Roman 
orator  doth  in  part  pronounce  :  Mala  est  et  impia 
consuettcdo,  contra  Deum  dispidandiy  sive  serio  id  Jit, 
sive  simulate. 


cKNT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  417 

5.  Now   king  James,  being  as  little  satisfied   inA.i).  ir>n. 

.1  •■>.■>  •<•  f    -%T  ,•  •!•  (1   .JillllPS. 

jnogment  with  the  writings  ot  V  orstius  in  his  own 

defence,  as  ill  pleased  in  point  of  liononr  with  the  seue^h'*""'* 
doings  of  the  States  in  return  to  his  request,  |?a"^'t>  Jj^'^^|l^^j^,,^ 
instructions  to  his  ambassador  to  make  public  i)ro- asainst 

'       _  V  orstius, 

testation  against  their  proceedings ;  which  sir  Rali)h  first writtea 

■xtr-  T      •  r»    1  •  5  1    •"  French; 

Wmwood,  in  pursuance  ot   his   masters  command,  since,  by 
most    solemnly   performed.     Nor  did   his  majesty's  transUited 
zeal  stop  here,  with  Joash,  king   of  Israel,  smiting  ]!^JJ*  J^|" 
only  but  thrice,  and   then  desisting;  but   after  his  amongst 

•'  .  .  .his  other 

request,  letter,  and  protestation  had  missed  their  works,  [p. 
desired  effect,  he  wrote  in  French  a  declaration"  '' 
against  Vorstius  ^  —  a  work  well  beseeming  the 
defender  of  the  faith,  by  which  title  (to  use  his 
ambassador's  expression)  he  did  more  value  himself 
than  by  the  style  of  king  of  Great  Britain.  Once 
I  intended  to  present  the  reader  with  a  brief  of  his 
majesty's  declaration,  till  deterred  with  this  consi- 
deration, that  although  great  masses  of  lead,  tin, 
and  meaner  metals,  may  by  the  extraction  of  che- 


E  [Of  this  production  of  the  "  when  the  best  book  printers 

royal   author,   Thomas   Lydiat  "  and  sellers  would  have  been 

thus  writes  to  Usher,  in  a  letter  "  glad  to  be  beholding  to  the 

of  the  22nd  of  August,  161 1 :  "  meanest  book  makers.     Now 

"  I  have  sent   you  the  king's  "  iVIr.  Norton,   not   long  since 

"  book  in   Latin  against  Vor-  "  the   meanest  of  many    book 

"  stius,  yet  scant  drv  from  the  "  printers  and  sellers,  so  talks 

"  press ;    which    IMr.    Norton,  "  and    deals    as    if   he    would 

"  who  hath  the  matter  wholly  "  make  the  noble  king  James 

"  in  his  own  hands,  swore  to  "  (I    may    well    sav    the    best 

"  me  he  would  not  print  unless  "  book  maker  of  this  his  own 

"  he  might  have  money  to  print  "or   any  kingdom    under   the 

"  it — a  sufficient  argument  to  "  .sun)  be  glad  to  be  beholding 

"  make    me   content   with   my  "  to  him."      Parr's  Letters  of 

"manuscript    lying    still    un-  Usher,  p.  13.    The  Declaration 

"  printed,    unless    he    equivo-  against  Vorstius  was  published 

"  cated.       But    see    how    the  at  London  in  16 12,  in   Latin, 

"  world  is  changed :  time  was  French,  and  English.] 

FULLER,  VOL.  V.  E  G 


418 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.D.  i6ri.mists   be   epitomized   and   abridged    into   a  smaller 

9  James.  .  «        ., 

quantity    or    silver,    yet    what    is    altogether    gold 

already  cannot  without  extraordinary  damage  be 
reduced  into  a  smaller  proportion.  And  seeing  each 
word  in  his  majesty's  declaration  is  so  pure  and 
precious,  that  it  cannot  be  lessened  without  loss,  we 
remit  the  reader  to  the  same  in  his  majesty's  works  ; 
and  so  take  our  leave  of  Vorstius  for  the  present, 
whose  books,  by  the  king's  command,  were  publicly 
burnt  at  St.  Paul's  Cross  in  London,  and  in  both 
universities  ^. 

Thecha-         g_  g^f    leaving  this   outlandish,  let   us  come  to 

racter  ot  " 

Barthoio-    our  English  Vorstius,  though  of  far  less  learning,  of 

mew  Le-  .  .    .  -r 

gate.         more  obstinacy  and  dangerous  opinions  :  1  mean  that 
Arian   who    this    year   suffered    in    Smithfield — his 


^  [Upon  this  Declaration, 
Heylyn  observes,  "  that  when 
"  king  James  published  his 
"  Declaration  against  Vorstius, 
"  in  which  there  are  so  many 
"  bitter  expressions  against  Ar- 
"  minius,  Bertius,  and  the  rest 
"  of  that  party,  he  was  much 
"  governed  by  the  counsels  of 
"  Dr.  James  Mountague,  who, 
"^  having  formerly  been  a  great 
"  stickler  against  Barnet  and 
"  Baroe  in  the  stirs  at  Cam- 
"  bridge,  was  afterwards  made 
"  dean  of  the  Chapel,  bishop 
"  of  Bath  and  Wells,  and  at 
"  last  of  Winton,  the  king's 
"  ecclesiastical  favourite  till  the 
"  time  of  his  death,  which  hap- 
"  pened  on  the  19th  of  July, 
"  1618.  Secondly,  that  the 
"  reason  why  king  James  so 
"  branded  the  remonstrants  in 
"  the  Declaration,  that  if  they 
"  were  not  with  speed  rooted 
"  out,   no  other  issue  could  he 


"  expected  than  the  curse  of 
"  God  in  making  a  perpetual 
"  rent  and  destruction  in  the 
"  whole  body  of  the  state,  (p. 
"  39')  ^v^s  not  because  they 
"  were  so  in  and  of  themselves, 
"  but  for  other  reasons,  which 
"  our  great  masters  in  the 
"  schools  of  policy  called  rea- 
"  sons  of  state.  Now  the  rea- 
"  son  which  moved  king  James 
"  to  so  much  harshness  against 
"  the  remonstrants,  was  be- 
"  cause  they  had  put  tliem- 
"  selves  under  the  patronage 
"  of  John  Olden  Barnevelt,  a 
"  man  of  principal  authority 
"  in  the  commonwealth,  whom 
"  the  king  looked  upon  as  the 
"  professed  adversary  of  the 
"  prince  of  Orange,  his  dear 
"  confederate  and  ally,  who  on 
"  the  other  side  had  made  him- 
"  self  the  patron  and  protector 
"  of  the  rigid  Calvinists."  Cert. 
Epist,  p.  180.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Ih  it  din.  4H) 

name,  Bartholomew  Legate;  native  county,  Essex  ;  a.  n.  ir.n. 
person  comely,  comj)lcxion  l)lack,  age  about  forty  .^_J!1"!!L 
years ;  of  a  bold  s])irit,  coufidout  carriage,  fluent 
tongue,  excellently  skilled  in  the  scriptures ;  and 
well  had  it  been  for  him  if  he  had  known  them  less 
or  understood  them  better,  whose  ignorance  abused 
the  word  of  God,  therewith  to  opi)ose  God  the 
Word  ;  his  conversation  (for  aught  I  can  learn  to 
the  contrary)  very  unblamable ;  and  the  poison  of 
heretical  doctrine  is  never  more  dangerous  than 
when  served  uji  in  clean  cups  and  Avashed  dishes. 

7.  King  James  caused   this  Legate   often   to  be P'^'^"""**" 
brought   to   him,  and   seriously  dealt  with   him   toking-'ames 

r\   '        '  1        I  •  1      1  ^""^  Legate. 

endeavour  his  conversion.  One  time  the  king  had 
a  design  to  surprise  him  into  a  confession  of  Christ's 
deity,  (as  his  majesty  afterwards  declared  to  a  right 
reverend  prelate ',)  by  asking  him  whether  or  no  he 
did  not  daily  pray  to  Jesus  Christ ;  which  had  he 
acknowledged,  the  king  would  infallibly  have  in- 
ferred that  Legate  tacitly  consented  to  Christ's 
divinity,  as  a  searcher  of  the  hearts.  But  herein 
his  majesty  failed  of  his  expectation.  Legate  return- 
ing, "that  indeed  he  had  prayed  to  Christ  in  the 
"  days  of  his  ignorance,  but  not  for  these  last  seven 
"  years."  Hereupon  the  king  in  choler  spurned  at 
him  with  his  foot :  "  Away,  base  fellow  !"  saith  he ; 
"  it  shall  never  be  said  that  one  stayeth  in  my 
"  presence  that  hath  never  prayed  to  our  Saviour 
"  for  seven  years  together  '*." 

8.  Often  was  he  convented  before  the  bishops  in  iJisiio,) 

Kinif  gi-a- 

the  consistory  of  St.  Paul's,  where  he  persisted  ob- veiieth  him 

with  a  ])lare 
of  Scrip- 
'  James   archbishop   of  Ar-  ^    [For   an    account   of   thetiire. 

magh,  from  whose  mouth  I  proceedings  against  Legate,  see 
had  the  relation.  Somers'  Tracts,  II.  p.  400.] 

E  e  2 


420  Tfie  Church  Historic  book  x. 

A.  D.  i6ii.stinate  in  his  opinions,  flatly  denying  the  authority 
of  that  court.  And  no  wonder  that  he  sHghted  the 
power  of  earthly  bishops,  denying  the  divinity  of 
Hira  who  is  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  our  souls '. 
The  disputation  against  him  was  principally  managed 
by  John  King,  bishop  of  London,  who  gravelled  and 
utterly  confuted  him  with  that  place  of  scripture, 
(John  xvii.  5,)  And  noiv,  0  Father,  c^orify  Thou  Me 
with  Thine  own  self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with 
Thee  before  the  world  was.  This  text,  I  say,  was  so 
seasonably  alleged,  so  plainly  expounded,  so  pathe- 
tically enforced,  by  the  eloquence  and  gravity  of 
that  bishop,  (qualities  wherein  he  excelled,)  that  it 
gave  marvellous  satisfaction  to  a  multitude  of  people 
there  present,  that  it  is  conceived  it  happily  unpro- 
selyted  some  inclinable  to  his  opinions ;  though 
Legate  himself  remained  pertinacious,  both  against 
the  impressions  of  arguments  and  scripture,  daily 
multiplying  his  enonnous  opinions.  It  is  the  hap- 
piness nature  indulgeth  to  monsters,  that  they  are 
all  barren ;  whereas,  on  the  contrar}%  monstrous 
positions  are  most  procreative  of  the  like  or  worse 
than  themselves. 
Wholesome  Q.  Before  we  set  ^\o^Y^\  his  pestilent  opinions,  may 
premised  Writer  and  reader  fence  themselves  with  prayer  to 
naming  of  ^^^d  agaiust  the  infection  thereof;  lest  otherwise, 
biarfu'"  touching  such  pitch  (though  but  with  the  bare  men- 
mies.  tion)  defile  us,  casually  tempting  a  temptation  in  us, 
and  awaking  some  corruption  which  otherwise  would 
sleep  silently  in  our  souls.  And  if,  notwithstanding 
this  our  caution,  any  shall  reap  an  accidental  evil 
to  themselves  by  reading  his  damnable  opinions,  my 
pen  is  no  more  accessory  to  their  harm,  than  that 

1   I  Pet.  ii.  25. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  421 

apothecary  is  guilty  of  murder,  if  others,  out  of  aA.D.  1611. 

,.,.,  ..         i-ni  1  '11  •  9  James. 

lickerish  curiosity,  kill  themselves  with  that  poison 

which  he  kept  in  his  shoj)  for  sovereign  use,  to 
make  antidotes  thereof.  His  damnable  tenets  were 
as  followeth  ™  : 

i.  "  That  the  creed  called  the  Nicene  Creed,  and 
''  Athanasius'  Creed,  contain  not  a  profession  of  the 
"  true  Christian  faith. 

ii.  "  That  Christ  is  not  God  of  God  begotten,  not 
*'  made  ;  but  begotten,  and  made. 

iii.  "  That  there  are  no  persons  in  the  Godhead. 

iv.  "  That  Christ  was  not  God  from  everlasting, 
"  but  bewail  to  be  God  when  he  took  flesh  of  the 
"  Virgin  Mary. 

V,  "  That  the  world  was  not  made  by  Christ. 

vi.  "  That  the  apostles  teach  Christ  to  be  man 
"  onlv. 

vii.  "  That  there  is  no  generation  in  God,  but  of 
"  creatures. 

viii.  "  That  this  assertion,  '  God  to  be  made  man,' 
*'  is  contrary  to  the  rule  of  faith,  and  monstrous 
"  blasphemy. 

ix.  "  That  Christ  was  not  before  the  fulness  of 
*'  time,  except  by  promise. 

X.  "  That  Christ  was  not  God,  otherwise  than  an 
"  anointed  God. 

xi.  "  That  Christ  was  not  in  the  form  of  God 
"  equal  with  God,  that  is,  in  substance  of  God,  but 
"  in  righteousness,  and  giving  salvation. 

xii.  "  That  Christ  by  his  Godhead  wrought  no 
"  miracle. 

xiii.  "  That  Christ  is  not  to  be  prayed  unto." 

">  [Soniers'  Tracts,  II.  400.] 

E  e  3 


4-^2  riie  Church  Hhtorij  book  x. 

A.  D.  1611.  For  iiiaiutaining  these  opinions,  Legate  had  long 
^  •^^""'''  been  in  prison  in  Newgate,  yet  with  liberty  allowed 
him  to  go  abroad  ;  not  contented  wherewith,  he 
openly  boasted,  and  often  threatened  to  sue  the 
court  which  committed  him  for  reparations  for  false 
imprisonment ;  so  that  his  own  indiscretion  in  this 
kind  hastened  his  execution. 

Condemned      JQ.   For  hcrcupon  bisliop  Kin":  "  finally  convcnted 

for  an  00-  ^  1  o  .- 

stinate  he-  him  in  the  consistory  of  St.  Paul's  ;  and  that  worthy 
prelate,  foreseeing  that  his  proceedings  herein  would 
meet  with  many  listening  ears,  prying  eyes,  and 
prating  tongues,  chose  many  reverend  bishops,  able 
divines,  and  learned  lawyers  to  assist  him :  so  that 
the  consistory,  so  replenished  for  the  time  being, 
seemed  not  so  much  a  large  court  as  a  little  con- 
vocation. By  the  counsel  and  consent  of  these,  by 
his  definitive  sentence  he  "pronounced,  decreed,  and 
"  declared  the  foresaid  Bartholomew  Legate  an  ob- 
"  durate,  contumacious,  and  incorrigible  heretic  ;"  and 
by  an  instrument  called  a  mpiificnvit  certified  the 
same  into  the  chancery,  delivering  him  uj)  unto  the 
secular  power ;  the  church  keys,  in  such  cases,  crav- 
ing the  help  of  the  civil  sword.  Whereupon  king 
James,  with  his  letters  dated  IVIarch  11,  under  the 
privy  seal,  gave  order  to  the  broad  seal  to  direct  the 
writ  de  hceretico  comburendo  to  the  sheriffs  of  Lon- 
don for  the  burning  of  the  foresaid  Legate. 

Quaeres  left      \i    Now,  as  the  bishop  herein  surrendered  Legate 

to  lawyers  '  _  ^         "    ^ 

to  decide,  to  the  sccular  power,  my  Ecclesiastical  History  in 
like  manner  resigns  him  to  the  civil  historian,  to- 
gether with  all  the  doubts,  difficulties,  and  legal 
scruples  attending  on  or  resulting  from  his  condem- 
nation.     Let   the   learned   in   the   law  consider  on 

"    [Bishop  of  London.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain. 

what  statute  the  writ  for  his  burning  was  grounded,  a. d.  1611. 

whether  on  those  old  statutes  enacted  ni  the  reigns 

of  Richard  the  Second  and  Henry  the  Fourth,  or 
on  the  branch  of  some  other  new  statute  to  that 
effect ;  let  them  satisfy  us  how  far  those  laws  were 
repealed  in  primo  Elizabethce,  and  how  far  they  still 
stand  in  force,  as,  though  not  to  (pretended)  Lol- 
lardism,  yet  to  blasphemy ;  let  them  examine  the 
judgment  of  the  learned  Fitzherbert  ",  whether 
sound  in  his  assertion,  "  that  heretics,  before  the 
"  writ  of  their  burning  be  issued  out  against  them, 
"  must  first  be  conyicted  of  heresy  before  a  provin- 
"  cial  convocation ;"  whilst  others  affirm,  that  they 
being  convicted  before  their  ordinary  suflficeth,  pro- 
vided it  be  for  such  o])inions  which  convocations 
have  formerly  condemned  for  heretical. 

12.  To  Smithfield  he  was  brought  to  be  burned.  Legate 
See  here  it  is  neither  the  pain  nor  the  place,  but  g^^Jiifieid. 
only  the  cause  makes  a  martyr.     In  this  very  Smith- 
field  how  many  saints,  in  the  Marian  days,  suffered 

for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  !  Whereas  now 
one  therein  dieth  in  his  own  blood  for  denying  him. 
Vast  was  the  conflux  of  people  about  him.  Never 
did  a  scare-fire  at  midnight  summon  more  hands  to 
quench  it,  than  this  at  noon-day  did  eyes  to  behold 
it.  At  last,  refusing  all  mercy,  he  was  burned  to 
ashes.  And  so  we  leave  him,  the  first  that  for  a 
long  time  suffered  death  in  that  manner;  and  O 
that  he  might  be  the  last  to  deserve  it ! 

13.  In   the   next   month   Edward  Wightman,  ofwightman 
Burton-upon-Trent,  convicted  before  Richard  Neale,  L^aleV" 

o  De  Natura  Breviuni,  f.  269,  a.  [ed.  1553.] 
E  e  4 


"l-^Tt  TIte  Cliuick  History  book  x. 

A.D.161 1,  bishop   of  Coventry  and    Lichfield,   was   burned   at 

11-  Lichfield  for  far  worse  opinions  (if  worse  might  be) 

than  Legate  maintained.  Mary  Magdalen,  indeed, 
was  once  possessed  \\\ih  seven  devils ;  but  ten  seve- 
ral heresies  were  laid  to  Wightman's  charge,  viz. 
those  of  Ebion,  Cerinthus,  Valentinian,  Arius,  Ma- 
cedonius,  Simon  INfagus,  INIanes,  INIanichaius,  Pho- 
tinus,  and  of  the  anabaptists  »'.  Lord  !  what  are  we 
when  God  leaves  us  ?  Did  ever  man  maintain  one 
heresy,  and  but  one  heresy  ?  Chains  of  darkness  % 
we  see,  have  their  links,  and  errors  are  complicated 
together. 
The  sua  ess      14.  God  mav  seem  well  pleased  with  this  season- 

ot  this  sere-  •  ^ 

rity.  able  severity,  for  the  fire  thus  kindled  quickly  went 

out  for  want  of  fuel  :  I  mean  there  was  none  ever 
after  that  openly  avoM^ed  these  heretical  doctrines, 
only  a  Spanish  Arian,  who,  condemned  to  die,  was 
notwithstanding  suffered  to  linger  out  his  life  in 
Newgate,  where  he  ended  the  same.  Indeed,  such 
burning  of  heretics  much  startled  common  peoi)le, 
pitying  all  in  pain,  and  prone  to  asperse  justice  itself 
with  cruelty,  because  of  the  novelty  and  hideousness 
of  the  punishment ;  and  the  purblind  eyes  of  vulgar 
judgments  looked  only  on  what  was  next  to  them, 
the  suffering  itself,  which  they  beheld  with  compas- 
sion, not  minding  the  demerit  of  the  guilt  which 
deserved  the  same.  Besides,  such  being  unable  to 
distinguish  betwixt  constancy  and  obstinacy,  were 
ready  to  entertain  good  thoughts  even  of  the  opinions 
of  those  heretics,  who  sealed  them  so  manfully  with 


P    So    reckoned    up    in    the     Soniers' Tracts,  II,  403.J 
warrant  for  his  burning.     [See  ^1  Jude  6. 


t:ENT.  XVII.  of  Britdin.  425 

their  blood.  Wherefore  king  James  politicly  pre- a.  i).  i6n. 
ferred,  that  heretics  hereafter,  though  condemned,  '^  '""*''" . 
should  silently  and  privately  waste  themselves  away 
in  the  prison,  rather  than  to  grace  them  and  amuse 
others  with  the  solemnity  of  a  public  execution, 
which  in  popular  judgments  usurped  the  honour  of 
a  persecution. 

15.  I  find  no  eminent  divine  or  scholar  deceased  The  death 

,  ,  ,  -  ,  _  of  master 

m  this  year;  only  one,  whose  bounty  made  many  orsiuton, 
both  kinds,  ended  his  life,  namely,  Richard  Sutton,  tha" famous 
the  Phcenix  of  our  age,  and  sole  founder  of  Charter  ^"*^'*^^' 
House  Hos])ital,  esq.,  born  of  genteel  parentage  at 
Knaith  in  Lincolnshire :  in  his  youth  bred  a  soldier, 
gaining  both  wealth  and  credit  by  his  valour,  but 
afterwards  embracing  a  more  peaceable  profession  of 
a  merchant.  This  his  foundation  he  called  the  hos- 
pital of  king  James,  all  discreet  subjects  having 
learned  this  lesson  from  politic  Joab  calling  Rabbah 
after  the  name  of  king  David  ^,  to  entitle  their  sove- 
reign to  the  honour  of  their  achievements  which  are 
of  extraordinary  proportion.  Children  not  yet  come 
to,  and  old  men  already  past,  helping  of  themselves, 
have  in  this  hospital  their  souls  and  bodies  provided 
for.  The  latter  must  be  decayed  gentlemen,  the 
most  proper  objects  of  charity,  as  whose  ingenious 
spirits  are  most  sensible  of  want,  and  most  unable 
to  provide  for  themselves. 

16.  It   is    utterly  improbable   that    it   will  ever  The  several 

manors  be- 

come  within   the  compass   of   my  power  to   found  longing 

,  ,.  .  11         1  •  1    thereunto. 

any  place  ror  ]>ious  uses ;  all  wherem  my  weak 
ability  can  express  its  forwardness,  is  to  honour  the 
charity  of  others,  and  for  the  present  alphabetically 

'■   2  Sam.  xii.  28. 


426  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  i6ii.to  methodize  the   manors  which  master  Sutton  in 
-  several  counties  settled  for  the  maintenance  of  this 

his  hospital : 

i.  Balsham  INIanor,  in  Cambridgeshire. 

ii.  Bassingthor2>e  INIanor,  in  Lincolnshire. 

iii.  Black  Grove  Manor,  in  Wiltshire. 

iv.  Broad  Ilinton  Land,  in  Wiltshire. 

V.  Castle  Camp  jNIanor,  in  Cambridgeshire. 

vi.  Chilton  JNIanor,  in  Wiltshire. 

vii.   Dunsby  Manor,  in  Lincolnshire. 

viii.  Elcombe  JNIanor  and  Park,  in  Wiltshire. 

ix.  Hackney  Land,  Middlesex, 

X.  Hallingbury-Bouchers  INIanor,  in  Essex. 

xi.  JNIissinden  INIanor,  in  Wiltshire. 

xii.  Much  Stanbridge  INIanor,  in  Essex. 

xiii.  Norton  jNIanor,  in  Essex. 

xiv.  Salthorpe  INIanor,  in  Wiltshire. 

XV.  South  JNIinster  Manor,  in  Essex. 

xvi.  Tottenham  Land,  in  Middlesex. 

xvii.  Ufford  Manor,  in  Wiltshire. 

xviii.  Watelescote  Manor,  in  Wiltshire. 

xix.  Westcot  Manor,  in  AViltshire. 

XX.  Wroughton  Manor,  in  Wiltshire. 

See  here  the  most  liberal  endowment   made  by 

one  man.     May  it  most  truly  be  said  of  our  London 

merchants,  as  of  those  of  Tyre,  luhose  merchants  are 

'princes  *. 

The  Jesuits      17.  But  uo   worlv  SO  virtuous,  which   some  ma- 

hisgood      licious  spirits  will  not  endeavour  to  disgrace.     One 

^°'^^"        who  writeth  himself  J.  H.,  but  generally  conceived 

to  be  Mr.  Knott,  the  Jesuit,  in  his  answer  to   Dr. 

s  Isa.  xxiii,  8. 


t'ENT.  XVII, 


of  Britain.  427 


Potter's  book   of  "Charity  Mistaken*,"  lets  fly  asA.D.  ir.n. 

9  James. 

followeth :  


"  Do  your  hospitals  deserve  so  mucli  as  to  be 
"  named  ?  Have  you  any  thing  of  that  kind  in 
"  eifect  of  particular  note,  saving  the  few  mean 
"  nurseries  of  idle  beggars  and  debauched  people  ? 
"  Except,  perhaps,  Sutton's  hospital,  which  (as  I 
""  have  been  informed)  was  to  take  no  profit  till  he 
"  was  dead — he  who  (as  T  have  also  understood) 
"  died  so  without  any  children,  or  brothers  or  sis- 
"  ters,  or  known  kindred,  as  that  (perad venture)  it 
"  might  have  escheated  to  the  king — he  who  lived 
"  a  wretched  and  penurious  life,  and  drew  that  mass 
"  of  wealth  together  by  usury ;  in  which  case,  ac- 
"  cording  to  good  conscience,  his  estate,  without 
"  asking  him  leave,  was  by  the  law  of  God  obnoxious 
"  to  restitution,  and  ought  to  have  been  applied  to 
"  pious  uses.  Whereas  anciently  in  this  country, 
"  and  at  all  times,  and  specially  in  this  last  age, 
"  men  see  abundance  of  heroical  actions  of  this  kind 
"  j)erformed  in  foreign  parts.  And  if  it  were  not 
"  for  fear  of  noting  many  other  great  cities,  as  if 
"  there  were  any  want  of  most  munificent  hospitals 
"  in  them,  wherein  they  abound,  I  could  tell  you  of 
"  one  called  the  Annunciata,  in  the  city  of  Naples, 
"  which  spends  three  hundred  thousand  crowns  per 
"•  annum,  which  comes  to  above  fourscore  thousand 
"  pounds  sterling  by  the  year;  which  ever  feeds  and 
"  cures  a  thousand  sick  persons,  and  pays  for  the 
"  nursing  and  entertainiu"-  of  three  thousand  suckino- 
"  children  of  poor  ])eople,  and  hath  fourteen  other 
"  distinct  hospitals  under  it,  where  the  persons  of 

t   2  pint,  \  cl).,  2  piirag. 


428  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1611."  tliose  poor  creatures  are  kept,  and  where  they  are 

"  defrayed  of  all  their  necessary  charges  every  week. 

"  I  could  also  tell  you  of  an  hospital  in  Rome, 
"  called  St.  Spirito,  of  huge  revenues ;  but  it  is  not 
"  my  meaning  to  enter  into  particulars,  which  would 
"  prove  endless." 

His  politic  18.  Before  we  come  to  the  particular  examination 
hi'swrrec-  of  tliis  his  accusatiou,  it  is  observable  how  many 
'^'^'^*  qualificatives,  correctives,  and  restrictives  ("perhaps," 

"  as  I  have  been  informed,"  "  as  I  have  also  under- 
"  stood,"  "  peradventure")  he  inserteth  in  this  his 
relation.  Indeed  such  qualifications  are  better  than 
equivocations ;  yet  what  some  may  impute  to  mo- 
desty is  his  policy,  if  well  considered  ;  for  if  any 
protestant  confute  what  he  hath  written,  this  accuser 
will  take  sanctuary  under  the  protection  of  those 
restrictions,  defending  himself  that  he  delivered 
nothing  positively ;  whilst  ignorant  papists  of  his 
owai  profession,  not  heeding  his  doubting  limitations, 
swallow  all  down  for  dogmatical  truth. 
Answers  to  19.  Morc  particularly  the  reformed  religion  in 
cavils.  England  hath  been  the  mother  of  many  brave  foun- 
dations, many  famous  hospitals  :  as  that  at  Warwick, 
built  by  the  earl  of  Leicester ;  Croydon,  by  arch- 
bishop Whitgift ;  Guildford,  by  archbishop  Abbot — 
not  to  speak  of  Christ  Church  and  St.  Thomas's 
Hospital,  built  by  king  Edward  the  Sixth  ;  though 
none  of  them  have  thrived  and  battled  so  fast  and 
so  fairly  as  this  of  Sutton's  foundation.  Whereas 
he  chargeth  liim  to  have  had  no  children,  it  is  con- 
fessed, seeing  he  died  a  bachelor ;  whose  life,  had 
he  been  of  their  opinion,  had  been  cried  up  for  a 
precious  piece  of  virginity.     That  he  had  no  known 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  429 

kindred,  is  false;  some  of  them  afterwards,  but  iiiA. d.  1611. 

vain,  endeavouring  to  overthrow  his  will;  though  he '- 

made  the  poor  to  be  his  mother,  and  sister,  and 
brother.  As  for  his  getting  wealth  by  unlawful 
ways,  I  am  not  to  justify  the  particular  circumstances 
of  any  man's  actions.  Should  a  secret  scrutiny  be 
made,  how  all  founders  of  monasteries  first  came  by 
their  wealth,  many  would  be  found  justly  obnoxious 
to  censure. 

20.  Indeed  our  Sutton  began  with  a  good  stock,  Mr.  Sut- 
had  no  charge  to  burden  him,  lived  to  be  very  aged,stant 
(seventy-nine  years,)  and,  by  God's  blessing  on  his^'*^^*^' 
providence,  industry,  and  thrift,  advanced  the  main 

of  his  estate.  This  I  can  confidently  report  from 
the  mouth  of  a  credible  witness,  who  heard  it  him- 
self, and  told  it  to  me,  that  master  Sutton  used 
often  to  repair  into  a  private  garden,  where  he 
poured  forth  his  prayers  to  God,  and,  amongst  other 
passages,  was  frequently  overheard  to  use  this  ex- 
pression :  "  Lord,  thou  hast  given  me  a  large  and 
"  lil)eral  estate;  give  me  also  a  heart  to  make  use 
"  thereof !"  which  at  last  was  granted  to  him  accord- 
ingly. 

21.  As  for  the  overgrown  hospital  of  the  Anmm- Sutton's 

-VT        1  ^  ^    ^  ^  c  hospital, 

ciata  at  Naples,  we  envy  not  the  wealth   thereof,  how  ex- 
though  reports  at  such  distance  lose  nothing  in  the  Annun-  "^ 
relation  ;  nor  do  we  wonder  that  it  cureth  yearly  a*^"*'"' 
thousand  sick  persons,  considering  what  disease  first 
came   from   Na])les,  and  was   thence   denominated. 
As  for  the  three  thousand  children  nursed  therein, 
it  is  to  be  feared  many  wanted  fathers  to  own  them ; 
and  this  not  so  much  the  fruit  of  charity  as  of  wan- 
tonness.    However,   that   hospital    hath    at   several 
times  been  advanced  by  a  college  of  benefactors ; 


•iSO  The  Church  H'lstort/  book  x. 

A.  D.  rf. II.  whereas  Suttoirs  may  stand  peerless  in  tliis  respect, 
^  """'"'-  tliat  it  was  founded,  finished,  and  endowed  by  him- 
self alone,  disbursing  13000/.  ^  (paid  down  before  the 
ensealing  of  the  conveyance)  for  the  ground  whereon 
it  stood,  with  some  other  appurtenances,  besides 
6000/.  expended  in  the  building  thereof,  and  that 
vast  yearly  endowment,  whereof  heretofore.  We 
mention  not  the  large  sums  bequeathed  by  him  to 
poor,  to  prisons,  to  colleges,  to  mending  highways, 
to  the  chamber  of  London,  besides  twenty  thousand 
pounds  left  to  the  discretion  of  his  executors.  What 
remaineth  but  that  we  pray  that  according  to  his 
pious  intentions  the  same  may  be  continued  to  the 
glory  of  God,  credit  of  the  protestant  religion,  com- 
fort to  the  poor,  good  example  to  the  rich,  and  per- 
petual memory  of  king  James  the  honorary,  and 
Mr.  Sutton  the  effectual,  founder  thereof — that  this 
sun  amongst  the  lesser  lights  of  protestant  charities 
may  shine  on  earth  as  long  as  the  sun  (that  faithful 
witness)  endureth  in  heaven  ?  being  more  confident 
that  my  desire  herein  will  take  effect,  considerino- 
the  honourable  governors  of  this  hospital  are  persons 
so  good  they  will  not  abuse  it  themselves,  and  so 
great  they  will  not  suffer  it  to  be  abused  by  others. 
22.  England,  at  this  time  enjoying  abundance  of 
ofpr'ince  peace,  plenty,  and  prosperity,  in  full  speed  of  her 
happiness,  was  checked  on  a  sudden  with  the  sad 
news  of  the  death  of  prince  Henry,  in  the  rage  of  a 
malicious  extraordinary  burning  fever.  He  was 
generally  lamented  of  the  wdiole  land,  both  univer- 
sities publishing  their  verses  in  print ;  and  give  me 
leave  to  remember  four  made  by  Giles  Fletcher,  of 

"  Stow's  Survey  of  London,  p.  478. 


The  death 
and  prayer 


CENT.  xvii.  of  Britain.  431 

Trinity  College  in  Cambridoe,  on  this  prince's  plain  a.d.  i6ii. 
gmve,  because  wanting  an  inscription ;  and  it  will  ^   ^^^^' 
be  honour  enough  to  me  if  I  can  make  thereof  a 
translation  : 

Si  sapis,  attonitus  sacro  deccde  sepulchro, 

Nee  cineri  qii(B  sunt  nomina,  qiKP.rc  novo, 
Prudetis  celavit  sculptor,  nam  qiiisque  rescivit, 

Protinus  in  luchrymas  solvitur,  et  moritur. 

"  If  wise,  aniaz'd  depart  this  holy  grave, 
Nor  these  new  ashes  ask  what  names  they  have ; 
The  graver  in  conceahng  them  was  wise. 
For  whoso  knows  straight  melts  in  tears  and  dies." 

Give  me  leave  to  add  one  more,  untranslatable 
for  its  elegancy  and  expressiveness  ^  : 

Ulteriora  timcns  cum  mortc  paciscitur  orbis  Y. 

And  thus  we  take  our  leave  of  the  memory  of  so 
worthy  a  prince,  never  heard  by  any  alive  to  swear 
an  oath,  for  which  archbishop  Abbot  commended 
him  in  his  funeral  sermon ;  the  prince  being  wont  to 
say,  "  that  he  knew  no  game  or  value  to  be  won  or 
"  lost  that  could  be  worth  an  oath." 

23.  One  qeneration  qocth  and  another  aetieratioji  T^J^e  mar- 

7/7  7  •         7      /•  mi  riage  of  the 

cometli,  out  the  earth  remainctli  for  ever.  \  he  stage  Palatine, 
stands,  the  actors  alter.  Prince  Henry's  funerals 
are  followed  with  the  prince  Palatine's  nuptials, 
solemnized  with  great  state,  in  hopes  of  happiness 
to  both  persons,  though  sad  in  the  event  thereof, 
and  occasionino-  o-reat  revolutions  in  Christendom. 

24.  Expect  not  of  me  an  account  of  the  divorce  ^^ sex  his 

divorce  dis-  • 


cussed. 


X  Made  by  IMr.  George  Her-     is   found  in    the    Epicedia   of 
bert.  either    university,    printed     in 

y  [Neither  of  these  epigrams     1612.] 


432 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.  D.  1611.  of  the  lady  Frances  Howard  from  the  earl  of  Essex, 
^  ""^^Land    of  her    re-marriage    to   Rol^ert    Carr,   earl    of 
Somerset ;  which  divorce  divided  the  bishops  of  the 
land  in  their  judgments  '■ : 

Against  it.  For  it. 

George  Abbot,  archbishop  of     Thomas    Bilson,    bishop    of 


Canterbury. 
John   King,  bishop  of  Lon- 
don. 

Alleging  the  common 
fame  of  incontinency  betwixt 
her  and  the  earl  of  Somerset. 


Winchester. 
Lancelot  Andrews,  bishop  of 

Ely. 
Richard    Neale,    bishop    of 

Coventry  and  Lichfield. 
These  proceeded,  secun- 
dum allegata  et  probata,  of 
the  earl's  inability,  quoad 
hanc,  and  the  lady's  untainted 
virginit}'. 


A  memo-         25.  Only  I  will  insert  one  passage  :  bishop  Over- 

ofbfshop^'^'all,  discoursing  with  bishop  King  about  the  divorce, 

*^"'^-         the  latter  expressed  himself  to  this  eifect :  "  I  should 

"  never  have  been  so  earnest  against   the   divorce, 

"  save  that  because  persuaded  in  my  conscience  of 

"  falsehood  in  some  of  the  depositions  of  the  wit- 


^  [Wilson's  Hist,  of  James, 
L  p.  69.] 

*  []\Iost  of  our  historians 
have  borrowed  their  account  of 
this  divorce  from  a  pamphlet 
published  in  the  time  of  the  com- 
monwealth, entitled,  "  Truth 
"  brought  to  Light  ;  or,  the 
"  History  of  the  first  fourteen 
"  Yearsof  King  James  L"  The 
work  is  undoubtedly  the  pro- 
duction of  a  presbyterian,  (pro- 
bably Osborne  or  Weldon,)  and 
of  one  very  unfavourable  to  the 
memory  of  king  James,  whom 
the  writer   throughout  endea- 


vours to  represent  in  a  mean 
and  degrading  b'ght.  Knowing 
how  many  inducements  were 
offered  in  the  time  of  the  great 
rebellion  to  malign  royalty, 
and  the  dishonest  artifices  re- 
sorted to  for  this  purpose,  it 
would  be  very  desirable  that 
the  credit  of  this  pamphlet 
should  be  carefully  examined 
before  its  assertions  be  unscru- 
pulously accepted  and  relied 
on,  as  thev  have  been  by  Hal- 
lam  and  others.] 

^    Anne    countess   of   Bed- 
ford. 


CKNT.  XVII,  of  Britain.  433 

"  iiesses  on  the  lady's  behalf."    This  sure  I  am,  from  a.  D.1613. 

1  ,  .      '     .  11  1      .        10  James. 

her  second  marriage  is  extracted  as  chaste  and  vir- 

tuoiis  a  lady  as  any  of  the  English  nation. 

29.  Nicholas  Wadham,  esq.,  of  Merefield  in  theWadham 
county  of  Somerset,  did  by  his  last  will  bequeath  founded. 
four  hundred  pounds  ]>er  annum,  and  six  thousand 
pounds  in  money,  to  the  building  of  a  college  in 
Oxford,  leaving  the  care  and  trust  of  the  whole  to 
Dorothy  his  wife — one  of  no  less  learned  and  liberal 
than  noble  extraction,  a  sister  to  John  lord  Petre, 
and  daughter  to  sir  William  Petres,  secretary  to  four 
kings,  and  a  worthy  benefactor  to  All  Souls  College. 
In  her  lifetime  she  added  almost  double  to  what 
her  husband  bequeathed,  whereby  at  this  day  it  is 
become  one  of  the  most  uniform  buildings  in  Eng- 
land, as  no  additional  result  at  several  times  of 
sundry  fancies  and  founders,  but  the  entire  product 
all  at  once  of  the  same  architect  ^. 

80.  This  year  the  same  w^as   finished,  built  in  awherefor- 
place  where  formerly  stood  a  monastery  of  the  Au-  "as^  y  of ' 
gustine  friars,  who  were  so  eminent  for  their  abilities tineT.'' 
in  disputing,  that  the  university  did  by  a  particular 
statute  impose  it  as  an  exercise  upon  all  those  that 
were  to   proceed  masters  of  art,  that   they  should 
first    be    disputed    upon   by   the    Augustine    friars ; 
which  old  statute  is  still  in  force,  produced  at  this 
day  for  an  equivalent  exercise,  yet  styled  "  Answer- 
"  ing  Augustines."    The  college  hath  from  its  begin- 
ning still  retained  something  of  its  old  genius,  having 
been  continually  eminent  for  some  that  were  acute 
philosophers  and  good  disputants  : — 

c   [See    ^V'ood's    History   of     University  of  Oxford,  I.  p.  591, 
the  Colleges  and   Halls  in  the     ed.  1786.] 

I'ULLEK,   VOL.    V,  F  f 


434 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.D.  1C13. 
10  James. 


LeavTied 

Wardens. 

Bishops. 

Benefactors. 

Writers. 

Dr.  [Robert]  "Wright, 

Robert  Wright, 

Philip  Bisse, 

[Dr.  John  (rau- 

admitted  1^)13. 

bishop  of  Bris- 

doctor of  divi- 

den.] 

Dr.  [.Tohn]  Flemming, 

tol,  then  Co- 

nity, canon  of  Humphrey  Sy- 

admitted  161^. 

ventry  and 

^Vells,  and       1     denham,  a 

Dr.  [William]  SiViith, 

Lichfield. 

archdeacon  of  '     very  eloquent 

1617. 

[Formerly 

Tautiton,  gave      preacher. 

Dr.  [Daniel]  Escott, 

warden.] 

1 849  books  for 

1635- 

their  library, 

Dr.  [John]  Pitt,  [644. 

valued  at 

Dr.  John  Wilkins, 

12000/.  •* 

1648. 

1 

1 

So  that  very  lately  ®  there  were  in  this  college  one 
warden,  fifteen  fellows,  fifteen  scholars,  two  chap- 
lains, two  clerks,  besides  officers  and  servants  of  the 
foundation,  with  many  other  students- — the  whole 
number,  one  hundred  and  twenty.  As  for  Dr.  John 
Wilkins  ^,  the  present  vrarden  thereof,  my  worthily 
respected  friend,  he  hath  courteously  furnished  me 
with  my  best  intelligence  from  that  university. 
A  parha-  31.  A  parliament  was  called,  wherein  many  things 
deniycaii-  Were  transacted,  nothing  concluded.  In  this  parlia- 
dis'soiv^.  ment  Dr.  Harsnet,  bishop  of  Chichester,  gave  offence 
in  a  sermon  preached  at  court,  pressing  the  word 
reddite  CcBsari  gucp  sunt  CcB.saris,  as  if  all  that  was 
levied  by  subsidies,  or  paid  by  custom  to  the  crown, 
was  but  a  redditum  of  what  was  the  king's  before. 
Likewise  Dr.  Neale,  bishop  of  Rochester,  uttered 


'^  ["  Two  thousand  books, 
"  valued  at  1700/."  Wood,  ib. 
601.] 

e  Viz.  anno  1634. 

f  [He  resigned  the  headship 
of  this  college,  Sept.  3,  1659, 
and  was  made  master  of  Trinity 
College  in  Cambridge.  After 
the  Restoration  he  became  dean 


of  Ripon,  and  soon  after  bishop 
of  Chester.  He  died  in  the 
house  of  Dr.  Tillotson,  his  son- 
in-law,  in  1672,  and  was  buried 
in  the  church  of  St.  Lawrence 
Jewry,  where  he  had  been  for- 
merly a  minister.  See  Wood, 
ib.  596,  and  in  the  Ath.  H. 
505- 


CENT.  xvir.  ofBritain.  435    / 

words  in  the  house  of  the  lords  interpreted  to  the  a.  d.  1614. 
disparagement   of  some   reputed   zealous  patriot  in — - — ^ 
the  house  of  commons.     Both  these  bishojis  were 
questioned   upon    it ;    and   to   save   them   from   the 
storm,  this   was   the  occasion   chiefly,  as   was  sup- 
posed, of  the  abrupt  breaking  up  of  the  parliament. 

32.  Anthony  Rudde,  bishop  of  8t.  David's,  ended  The  death 
his  life.     He  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  bred  in  Trinity  Rudde."'' 
College  in  Cambridge,  where  he  became  fellow ;  a 

most  excellent  preacher,  whose  sermons  were  very 
acceptable  to  queen  Elizabeth.  Hereon  dependeth 
a  memorable  story,  which,  because  but  defectively 
delivered  by  sir  John  Harrington  &,  I  request  the 
reader's  patience,  and  require  his  belief,  to  this  large 
and  true  relation  thereof: 

33.  Bishop   Rudde,   preaching  in  his  course   be- a  remark- 
fore    queen    Elizabeth    at    Whitehall,    her   majesty  sage.'^*^ 
was  highly  affected  with  his  sermon,  insomuch  that 

she  commanded  archbishop  Whitgift  to  signify  unto 
him  that  he  should  be  his  successor  in  case  the 
archbishopric  ever  fell  in  the  queen's  disposal. 

34.  Not  long  after,  the  archbishop,  meeting  bishop  The  bishop, 
Rudde,  "  Brother,"  said  he,  "  I  bring  good  tidings  topreSng, 
"  you,  though  bad  to  myself,  for  they  cannot  take  J^eeni  L 
"  full  effect  till   after  my   death  :   her  grace  is   so '°"'- 

"  pleased  with  your  last  sermon,  she  enjoined  me 
"  to  signify  to  you  her  pleasure  that  you  shall  be  my 
"  successor  in  Canterbury  if  surviving  me."  The 
bishop  modestly  declined  his  words,  desiring  the 
long  life  of  his  grace,  and,  in  case  of  his  advance- 
ment to  heaven,  confessed  many  other  in  England 
far  fitter  for  the  place  than  his  own  unworthiness ; 

g  [State  of  tlu'  Church,  II.  2  [4.  J 
F  f  2 


436  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  ifiu  adding,  after  some  other  exchange  of  words,  "Good 

^"  my  lord,  might  I  be  my  own  judge,  I  conceive  I 

"  have  preached  better  sermons  at  court,  surely  such 
"  as  cost  me  more  time  and  pains  in  composing 
"  them."  "  I  tell  you,"  replied  the  archbishop,  "  the 
"  truth  is  this  :  the  queen  now  is  grown  weary  of 
"  the  vanities  of  wit  and  eloquence,  wherewith  her 
"  youth  was  formerly  affected ;  and  plain  sermons, 
"  which  come  home  to  her  heart,  please  her  the 
"  best."  Surely  his  grace  was  too  mortified  a  man 
(though  none  naturally  love  their  successors  whilst 
themselves  are  alive)  intentionally  to  lay  a  train  to 
blow  up  this  archbishop-designed,  though  by  the 
other's  unadvised  practice  of  his  words  it  proved  so 
in  the  event. 
And,  by  35,  For,  noxt  time  when  it  came  to  the  bishop's 

too  personal  _  _  ' 

preaching,  courso  to  preach  at  court,  then  lying  at  Richmond, 
again.  (auno  1596,)  he  took  for  his  text  Psalm  xc.  12,  0 
teach  us  to  number  our  days,  that  ive  may  incline  our 
hearts  unto  wisdom  ;  and  in  the  close  of  his  sermon 
touched  on  the  infirmities  of  age,  (Eccles.  xii.  3,) 
w/ie?i  the  fjrinders  shall  be  feiv  in  number^  and  they 
wad'  dark  that  look  out  at  the  windows ;  personally 
applying  it  to  the  queen,  how  age  had  furrowed  her 
face,  and  besprinkled  her  hair  with  its  meal.  Where- 
at her  majesty  (to  whom  ingratissimum  acroama  to 
hear  of  death)  was  highly  displeased.  Thus  he  not 
only  lost  his  reversion  of  the  archbishopric  of  Can- 
terbury, (which,  indeed,  never  fell  in  the  queen's 
days,)  but  also  the  present  possession  of  her  majesty's 
favour  ^. 

h   [Harrington  has  given   a  ing   upon   the    passage,    "  and 

more  detailed  account  of  this  "  they  wax  dark  that  look  out 

sermon,  though  I  doubt  much  "  of  the  windows,"  he  observes 

of  its  authenticity.     Comment-  in     his     jesting    vein :     "  The 


CENT.   XVII. 


of  Britain. 


437 


36.  Yet  he  justly  retained  the  repute  of  a  reve-A.D.  1614. 

rend  and  godly  prelate,  and  carried  the  same  to  the ^ 

grave.     He   wrought    much    on   the  Welsh   by  his  generally 
wisdom,  and  won  their  affections;  and  by  moderate {^^^'^g'^j'^^'l"'^ 
thrift,  and  long  staying  in  the  same  see,  left  to  hisj 

son  (sir  Rise  Rudde,  baronet)  a  fair  estate  at  Aber-l 
glaseny  in  Carmarthenshire '. 

37.  Some  three  years  since,  (on  the  death  of  king  Casaubon 
Henry  the   Fourth,)   Isaac   Casaubon,   that   learned  England. 


"  queen  (as  the  manner  was) 
"  opened  the  window,  (the  royal 
"  closet  had  windows,)  but  she 
"  was  so  far  from  giving  him 
"  thanks  or  great  countenance, 
"  that  she  said  plainly^  he 
"  should  have  kept  his  arith- 
"  metic  for  himself.  '  But  I 
"  see,'  said  she,  '  the  greatest 
"  clerks  are  not  the  wisest 
"  men,'  and  so  went  away  for 
"  the  time  discontented."  State 
of  the  Church,  II.  217.  The 
bishop  had  alluded  to  the  mys- 
tical numbers  in  the  scriptures, 
and  so  to  the  queen's  age,  and  in 
summing  up  his  sermon  thus  ex- 
pressed himself;  "  Let  me  now 
"  come  to  the  most  reverend  age 
"  of  my  most  dear  and  dread 
*'  sovereign,  who  hath,  I  doubt 
"  not,  learned  to  number  her 
"  years,  that  she  may  apply 
"  her  heart  unto  wisdom.  And 
"  therefore  I  conceive  in  mind 
"  that  in  her  soliloquia  or  pri- 
*•  vate  meditacionsjshe  frameth 
*'  her  speech  in  this  wise,"  &c. 
Part  of  this  soliloquy,  which 
he  then  describes  at  some 
length,  and  by  no  means  in 
terms  very  flattering  to  one 
who  was  ambitious  to  bethought 
'•  ever  fair  and  young,"  runs 
thus  :   "  Lord,  I  have  now  put 


"  foot  within  the  doors  of  that 
"  age  in  the  which  the  almond 
"  tree  flourisheth,  wherein  men 
"  begin  to  carry  a  callander  in 
"  their  bones,  the  senses  begin 
"  to  fail,  the  strength  to  dimi- 
"  nish,  yea,  all  the  power  of 
"  the  body  daily  to  decay,"  &c. 
But  I  do  not  iind  in  the  sermon 
the  passage  from  Ecclesiastes 
which  is  quoted  by  Fuller;  and, 
indeed,  I  very  much  doubt  the 
correctness  of  the  other  part  of 
his  anecdote.  The  concluding 
part  of  the  sermon  above  quoted 
is  in  a  MS.  of  sir  H.  Yelver- 
ton's  Coll.  in  All-Souls'  coll. 
Oxf  f.  113.  b.] 

i    [In  a   MS.  journal,  pre- 
served   among    the     Harleian 
MSS.,  I  find  another  instance 
of    this    prelate's    straightfor- 
wardness.     "  Dr.  Rudd,"  says 
the   writer,    "  made    a   sermon 
before  the  queen  on  the  text, 
/  say  ye  are  gods,   but  you 
shall  all  die  like  men ;  where- 
in he  made  such  a  discourse 
of  death,  that  her  majesty, 
when  his  sermon  was  ended, 
said  unto  him  :  '  IMr.  Doctor, 
you   have  made  me  a  good 
funeral    sermon,    I    may   die 
when  I  will.'    Feb.  1602."] 

F  f  3 


438 


The  Oliurcli  HUtury 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D.  1614  critic,  was  fetched  out  of  France  by  king  James, 

'_^^^  and  preferred  prebendary  of  Canterbury.   Thus  desert 

will  never  be  a  drug,  but  be  vented  at  a  good  rate 
in  one  country  or  another,  as  long  as  the  w^orld 
affordeth  any  truly  to  value  it.  King  Pleniy  is  not 
dead  to  Casaubon,  as  long  as  king  James  is  alive. 
He  who  fomierly  flourished  under  the  bays  now 
thriveth  altogether  as  well  under  the  olive.  Nor  is 
Casaubon  sensible  that  England  is  the  colder  climate, 
whilst  he  finds  the  beams  of  his  majesty  so  bright 
and  warm  unto  him,  to  whom  also  the  lesser  lights 
of  prelates  and  peers  contributed  their  assistance  ^. 

38.  Presently  he  falls  a-writing,  as  natural,  and 
almost  as  necessary,  as  breathing  unto  him ;  first,  to 
Fronto  Ducaeus,  his  learned  friend ;  then  to  cardinal 
Perron,  in  the  just  vindication  of  our  English  church  ^ 
After  these,  he  began  his  Exercitations  on  Baronius 
his  Ecclesiastical  Annals,  which  more  truly  may  be 
termed  the  Annals  of  the  Church  of  Rome.  But, 
alas !  death  here  stopped  him  in  his  full  speed,  and 
he  lieth  entombed  in  the  south  aisle  of  Westminster 


Where  he 
dieth  and 
is  buried. 


^  [See  Casaubon's  Life  pre- 
fixed to  his  epistles,  ed.  1709. 
Rotterod.,  and  Birch's  Hist. 
View,  p,  322.  Besides  the  pre- 
bendary of  Canterbury,  the 
king  granted  him  a  pension  of 
30c/.  a  year,  and  Bancroft, 
the  archbishop,  sent  him  30/. 
towards  defraying  the  expenses 
of  his  journey.  But  he,  or  ra- 
ther his  wife,  seems  to  have 
been  dissatisfied  with  the  treat- 
ment he  met  with  in  Enghxnd  ; 
and  apprehensions  were  enter- 
tained that  he  meditated  chang- 
ing his  religion.  See  sir  D. 
Carleton's  letter,  in  Birch,  ib. 
340.  Many  of  his  unpublished 
letters  are  still  preserved  in  the 


British  Museum ;  but  of  all  his 
compositions  in  this  kind,  the 
most  important  and  interesting 
is  his  letter  to  Fronto  Ducajus 
mentioned  in  the  text,  which 
is  a  masterly  exposure  of  the 
dangerous  principles  and  UTit- 
ings  of  the  Jesuits,  \\Titten  in 
such  Latinity  as  Casaubon  only 
could  write.] 

1  [Both  these  letters  were 
printed  at  London  in  the  same 
years  in  which  they  were  writ- 
ten. The  former  dated  from 
London,  ist  July,  i6ii,  the 
other  from  the  same  place, 
9th  Nov.  1612.  They  are  print- 
ed among  his  letters.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  439 

Abbey;  not   on   the   east   or   poetical   side  thereof, ■'^•i^- '6'+- 

1 2  James. 

(where  Chaucer,  Spenser,  Drayton,  are  interred,)  but 

on  the  west  or  historical  side  of  the  aisle,  next  the 
monument  of  Mr.  Camden  ;  both  whose  plain  tombs, 
made  of  white  marble,  shew  the  simplicity  of  their 
intentions,  the  candidness  of  their  natures,  and  per- 
petuity of  their  memories.  Mr.  Casaubon's  was 
erected  at  the  cost  of  Thomas  Morton,  bishop  of 
Durham,  that  great  lover  of  learned  men,  dead  or 
alive  '". 

39-   The   king   comes   to   Cambridge   in   a   sharp  The  sup- 
winter,  when  all  the  world  was  nothing  but  air  and  siou  of  Mr. 
snow ;  yet  the  scholars'  wits  did  not  freeze  with  the  writfno^^ 
weather,  witness  the   pleasant    play   of  Ignoramus,  ^^V^^^y^j^^ 
which   they  presented  to  his  majesty.     Yet,  whilst  «^' tithes. 
many  laughed  aloud  at  the  mirth  thereof,  some  of 
the  graver  sort  were  sad  to  see  the  common  lawyers 
made  ridiculous  therein.     If  gowns  begin  once  to 
abase  gowns,  cloaks  will  carry  away  all ;  besides,  of 
all  wood,  the  pleaders'  bar  is  the  worst  to  make  a 
stage  of;  for,  once  in  an  age,  all  professions  must 
be  beholding  to  their  patronage.     Some  conceive  " 

™     [^Bishop    Morton,    then  "  pears  by  the  monument  set 

dean    of   Winchester,    became  "  up  in  the  Abbey  Church  of 

acquainted  with   Casaubon    at  "  St.  Peter's,  at  Westminster, 

the  house  of  Dr.  Overall,  then  "  for     Mons.     Casaubon,     ( he 

dean    of  St.  Paul's,  about  the  "  being  buried  there,)   at  the 

year  i6io,forCa8aubon,  "being  "charge  of  this  reverend  bi- 

"  then  newly  comeoutof  France,  "  shop.  The  inscription  where- 

"  was    likewise    (as    his    great  "  of  was  composed  by  that  ex- 

"  merits  required)  very  freely  "  cellent  poet  and  scholar,  Dr. 

"and    hospitably    entertained  '*  Thomas  Goad,  rector  of  Had- 

"  and  lodged  there  by  the  said  "  ley  in  Suffolk."      Barwick's 

"dean.     And  this  love,  thus  L.  of  Mort.  p.  73.] 

"  begun     between    these    two  «i   [Thomas  Ball,]  author  of 

"  learned   persons,   was    never  Dr.  Preston's  Life,  [printed  in 

"  intermitted  in  their  lives,  nor  Clarke's  Martyrology.] 
"  obliterated  by  death,  as  ap- 

F  f  4 


440 


The  Cliurc/i  His  tort/ 


BOOK   X. 


A.D.  1614.  that  ill  revenge  master  Jolin  Selden  soon  after  set 
—  forth  his  Books  of  Tithes,  wherein   he   historicallv 

proveth   that  they  were  payable  jure  humano,  and 

not  otherwise  °. 
Many  write      ^Q.  I  cannot  suspect  SO  hiffh  a  soul  Qiiiltv  of  so 

in  answer  ^  *  '-'  o  . 

to  his  book,  low  reflections,  that  his  book  related  at  all  to  this 
occasion,  but  only  that  the  latitude  of  his  mind, 
tracing  all  paths  of  learning,  did  casually  light  on 
the  road  of  this  subject.  His  book  is  divided  into 
two  parts,  whereof  the  first  is  a  mere  Jew,  of  the 
])ractice  of  tithing  amongst  the  Hebrews  ;  the  second 
a  Christian,  (and  chiefly  an  Englishman,)  of  their 
customs  in  the  same.  And  although  many  divines 
undertook  the  answer  of  this  book,  (as  INIr.  Stephen 
Nettles,  fellow  of  Queen's  College  in  Cambridge, 
applying  himself  to  the  Judaical  part.  Dr.  Tillesly 
and  Mr.  Montague — all  writing  sharply,  if  strongly 
enough,)  yet  sure  it  is,  never  a  fiercer  storm  fell  on 
all  i^arsonage  barns  since  the  Reformation  than  what 
this  treatise  raised  up. 

41.  By  this  time  Mr.  Andrew  Melvin,  a  Scotch- 
man, got  to  be  enlarged  out  of  the  tower,  whither 
he  had  been  committed  for  writing  some  satirical 
verses  against  the  ornaments  on  the  altar  (or  com- 
munion table)  in  the  king's  chapel.  When  first 
brought  into  the  tower,  he  found  sir  William  Sey- 


JVIelvin 
freed  from 
the  tower. 


o  [\'^arious  replies  were  miide 
to  this  treatise  besides  those 
mentioned  in  the  text.  Of 
Selden  it  is  very  true  what 
is  asserted  by  Dr.  Marshall : 
"When  IMr.  Selden  was  at 
"  any  time  pressed  with  ap- 
"  parent  fact  and  history,  it 
"  was  always  his  custom  to 
"  run  his  reader  into  the  dark. 


"  and  then  to  leave  him  to  shift 
"  for  himself;  or  else  to  catch 
"  at  innuendos  and  conjectures, 
"  which  he  was  ever  ready  to 
"  furnish,  at  the  expence  of 
"  all  probability,  so  he  might 
"  disserve  the  church  which 
"  he  mortally  hated."  Peni- 
tential Discipline,  p.  24.] 


cKNT.xvii.  uf  Britain.  41-1 

moiir  (now  the  right  honourable,  most  truly  noble,  a.d.  1614. 
and  reb'gious  marc|uis  of  Hertford)  there  imprisoned  1   '  '""^'" . 
for  marrying-  the  lady  Arabella,  so  nearly  allied  to 
the  crown,  without  the  king's  consent.     To  whom 
Melvin,    being  an   excellent   poet,    (but    inferior   to 
Buchanan  his  master,)  sent  this  distich : 

Causa  mihr  tecum  cummunis  carcer'is,  ARA 
Regia,  BELLA  tibi,  regia  sacra  miki  v. 

As  for  his  invective  verses  against  the  chapel 
ornaments,  I  conceive  the  following  copy  most  au- 
thentic, though  there  be  various  lections  of  them, 
but  all  in  the  main  agreeing  together : 

Quod  duo  stent  libri  clausi  Anglis  regia  in  ara, 

Lurnina  cwca  duo,  pollubra  sicca  duo. 
An  clausum  ccecumque  Dei  tenet  Anglia  cultum 

Lumine  coeca  suo,  sorde  sepulta  sua  ? 
Romano  et  ritu  chim  regalem  instruit  aram, 

Purp^tream  pingit^  luxuriosa  lupam. 

42.  Mr.  George  Herbert,  of  Trinity  college  in 
Cambridge,  made  a  most  ingenious  retortion  of  this 
hexastic,  which  as  yet  all  my  industry  cannot 
recover ■".  Yet  it  much  contenteth  me,  that  I  am 
certainly  informed,  that  the  posthume  remains 
(shavings  of  gold  are  carefully  to  be  kept)  of  that 
not  less  jnous  than  witty  writer  are  shortly  to  be  put 
forth  into  print^  with  this  his  Anti — pehi — Melm. 

P  [These  lines  are  also  quoted  P  Alias  religioxa. 

by  sir  Dudley  Carleton,   in    a  q  [Nor  is  it  found  in  the  new 

letter  to  sir  R.  Winwood,  dated  edition  of  his  works.] 

July  25,  1610,  at  the  time  of  '"   [In  1662.    See  an  account 

the  occurrence.      His  copy  fol-  of  this  publication  in  the  new 

lows,  and  has  more  point  :  edition  of  Herbert's  poems  in 

Conwnmh  tecum  mi/ii  causa  e.^t  car-  I  835;  ill  which  these  epigrams 

(■eri.i  ABA  are  reprinted.] 
HELL  A    tibi    causa    rsl,    AliAt/ue 

sacra  mifii.] 


442  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1615.      But  now  at  last  Melvin  his  liberty  was  procured 

'-  by  the  intercession  of  the  chief  of  the  reformed  in 

France,  and  being  released,  he  afterwards  became 
professor  at  Sedan  in  the  duke  of  Bovillon  his 
country.  Here  he  ceased  not  to  traduce  the  church 
of  England,  against  which  he  wrote  a  scroll  of 
Sapphics,  entituled  "  Anti-tami-cami-categoria'." 
The  death  43.  This  year  Thomas  Bilson,  bishop  of  Win- 
Biison.*  Chester,  (who  carried  prelature  in  his  very  aspect,) 
ended  his  life :  first  schoolmaster,  then  warden  of 
Winchester,  afterwards  bishop  of  Worcester,  and 
lastly  of  Winchester.  A  deep  and  profound  scholar, 
excellently  well  read  in  the  fathers,  principally 
shewed  in  his  Defence  of  Christ  his  Descent  into 
Hell". 
Campiaii's  44.  By  tlio  Way,  it  is  a  falsehood  what  Campian 
writes  confidently,  that  Cheney,  bishop  of  Glocester, 
had  affirmed  unto  him,  namely,  that  concerning  this 
article,  it  was  moved  in  a  convocation  at  London  : 
Quemadmodum  sine  tumtdtu  fenitus  eximatur  de  Sym- 
bolo,  "  How  it  might  without  any  noise  be  wholly 
"  taken  out  of  the  Creed."  For  no  such  debate  ap- 
peareth  upon  record  in  our  convocations,  and  as  for 
Campian,  his  single  affirmation  is  of  no  validity^. 

s    [Published  at  the  end  of  controversy   is  given   by   Har- 

a  rare   tract   entitled,  Parasy-  rington.  State  of  the  Church, 

nagm  Perthense,  1620.]  II.  101.] 

t   [First  published  at   Lon-  ^    [Fuller   seems   to   me   to 

don  in  1588,  a  second  edition  have  mistaken  Campian's  words, 

enlarged,  in  folio,  1604.      His  who  refers  rather  to  some  pri- 

principal  opponent  was  Hugh  vate  assembly  of  the  puritans. 

Broughton,   whose  tract  upon  His   words   are   these:    "Pars 

the  descent  into  hell  was  pub-  "  etiam  submurmurant  in  hunc 

lished    in    1604,    dedicated    to  "  articulum,   ne  quid    facessat 

archbishop   Whitgift,   and    re-  "  ultra    molestiae,    qucmadmo- 

printed     in     Somers'     Tracts,  "  dum    sine    tumultu    penitus 

vol.    II.      An    account  of   this  "  eximatur    de    symbolo.       Id 


CENT.    XVII. 


of  Britain.  4*?^ 


45.  Marcus  Antoiiius  de  Doiiiiiiis,  archbishop  ofA.D.  1615. 

1 3  James. 

Spalato,   came  over  into    England,   was  here   cour- —— — — 

V  ^  ,,,,-.,  Archbishop 

teoiisly  welcomed  and  plentifully  preferred,  of  whose  of  spaiato. 
hypocrisy  and  ingratitude  largely  hereafter^. 

46.  King  James  went  into  Scotland  to  visit  his  The  king 
native  country,  with  a  prnicely  tram.  In  his  passage  Scotland. 
thither  he  was  much  aifected  with  a  sermon  which 

one  of  his  chaplains  preached  upon  this  text,  A^id 
Abraham  was  very  rich  in  cattle,  in  silver,  and  in 
gold.  And  he  ivent  on  his  journeys  from  the  south 
even  to  Beth-el,  to  the  place  where  his  tent  had  been 
at  the  beginningy.  As  for  his  entertainment  in  Scot- 
land, we  leave  it  to  their  historians  to  relate.  For 
may  my  pen  be  plundered  by  the  borderers  or  moss- 
troopers, if  offering  to  cross  Tweed  into  another 
country. 

47.  This  year  died  doctor  William  James,  bom  in  The  death 

of  bishop 

Cheshire,  master  first  of  the  University  college,  then  james. 
dean  of  Christ  Church  in  Oxford,  chaplain  to  Ro- 
bert Dudley,  earl  of  Leicester^  and  confessor  to  him 
at  his  death,  and  at  last  made  bishop  of  Durham. 

"  vero   etiam    fuisse   tentatum  "  universities ;     as    Dr.    Toby 

•'  in  conventiculo  qiiodam  Lon-  "  Matthew,  now  archbishop  of 

•'  dinensi,  memini  narrare  niihi  "  York;  Dr.  John  Still,  bishop 

"  qui  interfuit  RichardumChe-  "  of  Bath  and  Wells;  and  this 

"  niuni,    miserrimuni    senem."  "  prelate,    that   I    am   now   to 

Decern  Rationes,  p.  90.]  "  speak   of.   Dr.    James,    then 

X  Viz.  anno  1622.  "  dean  of  Christ-Church.   And 

y  Gen.  xiii.  2,  3.  "  this  hope  of  comfort  came  to 

z    ["  Who,"    as    Harrington  "  his  lordship  thereby,  that  if 

justly    observes,    "though    he  "  it  pleased  God  to  impart  any 

"  made  no  great  conscience  to  "  mercy  to  him,  (as  his  mercy 

"spoil    the    church-livings   no  "  endureth  for  ever,)  it  was  by 

*'  more  than  did  his  father,  yet  "  the   special  ministry  of  this 

"  for  his  reputation,  or  perhaps  "man,   who   was   the   best    of 

"  his  recreation,  he  would  have  "  his  coat   that  was  with  him 

"  some    choice    and    excellent  "  in    his  sickness."     State    of 

"  men  for  his  chaplains  of  both  the  Church,  II.  268.] 


444  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  I).  1616.  He  expended  much  on  the  repairing  of  the  chapel  of 
-!1L^!!!!!1  Durham  House  in  the  Strand  %  and  in  his  younger 

days  was  much  commended  for  his  hospitality. 
Bishop  Ro       48.  Two  other  prime  prelates  accompanied  him  to 

biiison  and  iitatt  t^i- 

bishop  Ben- the  otlier  world,   Dr.  Henry   Robmson,   provost   of 
Queen's  college  in  Oxford,  bishop  of  Carlisle,  of  great 
temperance,   mild  in    speech,   but    weak   in   consti- 
tution''.    The  other,  Robert  Bennet,  fellow  of  Tri- 
nity college  in  Cambridge,  chaplain  to  the  lord  Bur- 
leigh, termed  by  a  great  divine  eruditm  benedidus, 
bishoj^  of  Hereford,  well  deserving  of  his  see,  whose 
houses  he  repaired c. 
Dr.  Jidck-       49.  Doctor  Mocket,  warden  of  All  Souls  in  Oxford, 
lation  of  our  chaplain   to   George   Abbot,  archbishop   of  Canter- 
ui"fv'*'^  ""bury,  set  forth  a  book  in   pure  Latin,  containing  the 
Apology  of  the  Church  of  England  ;  the  greater  and 
lesser  Catechism  ;  the  Nine  and  Thirty  Articles ;  the 
Common  Prayer;  the  Ordination  of  Bishops,  Priests, 
and   Deacons ;    the   Polity,   or  Government   of   the 
Church    of   England.      As    for    the    Homilies,    too 
tedious    to   be    translated    at    large,   he    epitomised 
them    into    certain    propositions,   by   him    faithfully 
extracted. 
Cavilled  at       50.  No  soouor  appeared  this  book  in  print,  but 
ymany.    ^^^^^^   faults  wcro  fouud  therein.     Indeed  it  fared 
the  worse  for  the  author,  the  author  for  his  patron 
the  archbishop,  against  whom  many  bishops  began 

a   [This  house  was  granted  "  comely  and  costly  sort;   for 

to  queen  Elizabeth,  in  whose  "  which    cjood    timed    fact,    I 

time  it  was  neglected,  and  the  "  doubt  not  but  God  will  build 

chapel  not  only  profaned,  but  "  him  a  house,  toward  which 

defaced.     "  This  good  bishop,"  "  he  shall  ever  have  my  best 

saith  Harrington  very  prettily,  "  wishes."   lb.  271.] 

"  the  first  thing  he  doth  at  his  ^  [See  Harrington,  ib.  272.] 

"  coming,   repairs  this  chapel,  c  [See  Harrington,  ib.  185.] 
"  and  furnisheth  it  within  in 


CENT.  XVII.  of  lir'itdhi.  445 

then  to  combine.  Some  accused  him  of  presumption  a.  d,  1617. 
for  undertaking  such  a  task  without  commission''  '^'^^"'^^' 
from  the  king,  it  being  ahnost  as  fatal  for  private 
persons  to  tamper  with  such  public  matters,  as  for  a 
subject  to  match  into  the  blood  royal  without  leave 
of  his  sovereign.  Others  complained,  that  he  en- 
larged the  liberty  of  a  translator  into  the  license  of 
a  commentator,  and  the  propositions  out  of  the  Ho- 
milies by  him  collected  were  made  to  lean  to  the 
judgment  of  the  collector.  James  Montague,  bishop 
of  Winchester,  a  potent  courtier,  took  exceptions 
that  his  bishoprick  in  the  marshalling  of  them  was 
wronged  in  the  method,  as  put  after  any  whose 
bishop  is  a  privy  counsellor*'. 

50.  But  the  main  matter  objected  against  it  was.  The  pimh- 
that  this  doctor  was  a  better  chaplain  than  a  subject,  1",^^*^'^"*'''" 
contracting  the  power  of  his  prince  to  enlarge  the 
privilege  of  his  patron,  allowing  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury's  power  to  confirm  the  election  of  bishops 

in  his  provinces,  citing  *^  for  the  same  the  sixth  canon 
of  the  first  Nicene  council  established  by  imperial 
authority :  "  If  any  be  made  a  bishop  without  the 
"  consent  of  his  metropolitan,  he  ought  not  to  be  a 
"  bishop." 

51.  This  was  counted  an  high  offence  to  attribute  imperial 

,  ,.    ,  ,.  .,  ••11  decreescom- 

an  obligmg  authority  either  to  canon  or  civil   law%  niand  not 
both  which,  if  crossing  the  common  law  of  the  land, '"   "^  "*"  ' 
are  drowned  in  their  passage  as  they  sail  over  from 
from  Calais  to  Dover;  and  king  James,  justly  jealous 
of  his  own  prerogative,  approved  not  such  a  confirm- 
ing power  in  the  archbishop,  which  might  imply  a 

^  Yet  cum  privUegio  is  pre-     Angl.  p.  314. 
fixed  on  the  first  page.  f  Ibid.  p.  309. [^31  of  the 

e    In    the    Politia    Ecclesiac     reprint.  London,  1683.] 


446 


The  Church  Hi  star  i/ 


A.  D.  1617.  negative  voice  in  case  he  disliked  such  elects  as  the 

ii_!!!!!!_  king  should  recommend  unto  him^. 

P"  *!'®    .       52.  Hereupon  doctor  Mocket  his  book  was  cen- 

burning'  01  ^ 

his  book      sured  to   be   burned,  which  was   done   accordinarly. 

Dr.  M,)cket  ,      ,        .  /•        .  •       •  . 

dieth.  Now  although  the  nnperfections  and  indiscretions  of 
this  translator  might  be  consumed  as  dross  in  the 
fire,  yet  the  undoubted  truth  of  the  Articles  of  the 
English  church  therein  contained  as  flame-free  and 
perfectly  refined  will  endure  to  all  eternity.  The 
doctor  took  this  censure  so  tenderly,  especially  so 
much  defeated  in  his  expectation,  to  find  punishment 
where  he  looked  for  preferment,  as  if  his  life  were 
bound  up  by  sympathy  in  his  book,  he  ended  his 
days  soon  after  ^. 


g  [Nor  was  this  the  only 
offence.  He  attributed  the 
fast-days,  appointed  by  the 
church  of  England^  to  mere 
political  motives  ;  oh  poHticas 
solum  rationes ;  in  direct  va- 
riance to  the  doctrine  of  the 
church  of  England,  observing 
certain  fast-days  in  conformity 
with  apostolical  and  primitive 
times.  (See  the  Constitutions 
of  1604.)  See  Heylyn's  Life 
of  Laud,  p.  76.] 

h  [This  book  is  exceedingly 
rare  ;  the  latter  part  of  it,  "  De 
"  Politia  Ecclesiae  Anglicanae," 
was  reprinted  in  1683,  8vo., 
together  with  two  tracts  of 
Dr.  Zouch,  entitled,  "  De- 
"  scriptio  Juris,"  &c.  In  the 
preface  to  this  reprint  some  ac- 
count is  given  of  Dr.  Mocket's 
book.  The  author  was  domes- 
tic chaplain  to  Abbot,  archbi- 
shop of  Canterbury,  and  his 
chief  offence  appears  to  have 
been  in   attaching  to  the  Ho- 


milies of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land, which  he  abbreviated,  a 
different  sense  from  that  ap- 
proved of  by  the  church,  and 
omitting  the  part  of  the  20th 
article,  which  states  the  power 
of  the  church  in  controversies 
of  faith,  and  in  rites  and  cere- 
monies. The  book  was  con- 
demned to  the  flames  by  a 
public  edict.  The  "  Apology 
"  of  the  Church  of  England" 
was  that  written  by  bishop 
Jewel.  The  complete  title  of 
the  book,  a  copy  of  which  is 
preserved  in  the  British  Mu- 
seum, runs  as  follows:  "  Doc- 
"  trina  et  politia  ecclesiae  An- 
"  glicanae,  a  beatissimie  me- 
"  moriae  principibus,  Edvardo 
"  Sexto,  regina  Elizabetha  sta- 
"  bilitae,  et  a  religiosissimo  et 
"  potentissimo  monarcha  Ja- 
"  cobo  Magnse  Britan.  &c. 
"  rege  continuata.  Londini, 
1617."  4to.] 


CENT,  XVII. 


of  Britain.  '447 


53.  Though  his  death  much  affected  his  friends  in  a.d.  1617. 

1  •/./•!  •  .         •  5  James. 

Oxford,  vet  tar  greater  the  ffriet  01  tliat  university 

?..    ,  All  1-1  r-o    1.  1  The  death 

for  the  decease  or  Kobert  Abbot,  bishop  01  baiisbury,  of  Robert 
who  died  this  year.     One  of  the  honours,  not  onlyj^i^^^^Vrsa- 
of  that  see,  but  of  the  church  of  England,  born  at  •"*'""'>'• 
Guilford  in  Surrey,  of  religious  parents,  as  persevering 
in  the  truth,  though  persecuted  for  t?ie  same  in  the 
reign  of  queen  Mary  ^ ;  whose  two  younger  brothers, 
George  and  Maurice,  the  one  came  to  be  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  the  other  was  lord  mayor  of  London, 
and  the  first  knight  of  king  Charles's  dubbing.    This 
good  bishop  his  deserts,  without  any  other  friend  or 
spokesman,  preferred  him  to  all  his  promotions.    For 
upon  his  oration  made  on  queen  Elizabeth  her  inaugu- 
ration, he  was  chosen  scholar  (and  afterwards  fellow 
and  master)  of  Balliol  college ;  upon  a  sermon  preach- 
ed at  Worcester,  he  was  made  lecturer  of  that  city ; 
upon  a  sermon  preached  at  Paul's  Cross,  Master  John 
Stanhope  preferred  him  to  the  rich  benefice  of  Bing- 
ham in  Nottinghamshire ;  upon  a  sermon  preached 
before  king  James,  he  was  nominated  successor  to 
Doctor  Holland,   in   the  king  professor  his  place  in 
Oxford"^.     Upon  the  fame  of  his  incomparable  lec- 
tures, De  Potestate  Regia,  and  other  labours,  he  was 
made  bishop  of  Salisbury^,  in  conferring  which  place, 
the  king  conquered  all  opposition,  which  some  en- 
vious persons  raised  against   him ;   witness  his  ma- 

i   [See  his  Life,  A\Titten  by  against  Bellarmine  and  Suarez, 

Dr.  Featley,  in  F'uller's]  Abel  were    published    by    his    son 

Redivivus,  p.    540.     [Wood's  Thos.  Abbot,  in  1619,  and  dc- 

Athen.  II.  p.  224.]  dicated  to  his  uncle,  the  arch- 

^   [Heylyn's   Life   of  Laud,  bishop;  his  Antilogia  had  been 

p.  65.]  published    a    little    before,    in 

1   [In  1615.    These  lectures,  1613.      See  Wood's  Athen.  II. 

"  De  vSuprema  potestate  regia,"  p.  224.] 


448  The  Church  History  rook  x. 

A.D.  i6.7.jesty's  pleasant  speech'"  :  "  Abbot,  I  have  had  much 
IS  James.  ^^  ^^  ^^  ^^  m?i\.e  thee  a  bishop,  but  T  know  no  reason 


"  for  it,  unless  it  were  because  thou  hast  written  a 
"book  against   a  popish  prelate";"    meaning  Wil- 
liam  Bishop,  entitled  by  the  po])e  °,   "  the   nominal 
"  bishop  of  the  aerial  diocese  of  Chalcedon,"  which 
enraged  the  court  pai)ists  against  him  to  obstruct  his 
preferment,     "  The  hour-glass  of  his  life,"  saith  my 
authorP,   "ran   out   the  sooner  for  having  the  sand 
"  or  gravel  thereof  stopped  ;"  so  great  his  grief  of 
the  stone,  though  even  whilst  his  body  was  on  the 
rack,  his  soul  found  ease   in  the   assurance  of  sal- 
vation*!. 
The  impos-      54.  About  this  time,  a  boy  dwelling  at  Bilson  in 
t!iy  of  Bi'r.  Staffordshire,  William  Perry  by  name,  not  full  fifteen 
^°"-  years  in  age,  (but  above  forty  in  cunning,)  was  prac- 

tised on  by  some  Jesuits  (repairing  to  the  house  of 
Mr.   Gifford   in   that   county)   to   dissemble  himself 

«n  [Featley,  ib.  p.  548.]  "  a  physician,  who  had  been 
"  [Entitled,  "the  True  an-  "one  of  his  contemporaries 
"  cient  Roman  Catholic,  being  "  in  Balliol  college ;  the  news 
"  an  apology  or  counterproof  "  whereof  being])resented, with 
"  against  Dr.  Bishop's  reproof  of  "  some  .  circumstances  to  his 
"  the  defence  of  the  Reformed  "  disadvantage,  to  his  brother, 
"Catholic."  Lond.  161 1.  4to.  "the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
Dedicated  to  prince  Henry.]  "  bury,  he  received  from  him 
o    [See  Wood's  Athen.    II.  "  such  a  sharp  and  bitter  letter 

p.  356.]  " that  not  being  able  to 

P  Featley,  ib.  p.  549.  "  bear  the  burthen  of  so  great 

q    [According  to   Dr.  Hey-  "  an    insolency,    he    presently 

lyn's   statement,    his    end    was  "  took  thought  upon  it,  and  as 

hastened  by  the  displeasure  of  "  presently   died,   leaving   this 

his  brother,  the  archbishop  of  "  life   on    the    2nd   of  IMarch, 

Canterbury.      "For    after    his  "  the  year  almost  expiring  with 

"  advancement   to   the   see    of  "  him."  Heylyn's  Life  of  Laud, 

"  Sarum,  being  then  near  sixty  p.  75.     This  disj)leasure  of  his 

"  years  of  age,  he  married  the  brother   is  also   mentioned   by 

"  widow  of  one  Dr.  Cheynell,  Wood,  Ath.  II.  p.  226.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britnin.  449 

possessed •■.      This    was    done    on    desi<^n,    that    the  a.  d.  1617. 

priests  might  have  the  credit  to  cast  out  that  devil, 

(which  never  was  in,)  so  to  grace  their  religion  with 
the  reputation  of  a  miracle  *. 

55.  But  now  the  best  of  the  jest,  (or  rather  the  Found  o«t 
worst  of  the  earnest  was,)  the  boy  having  gotten  a  Morton!'' 
habit  of  counterfeiting,  leading  a  lazy  life  thereby, 
to  his  own  ease  and  parents'  profit,  (to  whom  he  was 
more  worth  than  the  best  plough-land  in  the  shire,) 
would  not  be  undeviled  by  all  their  exorcisms,  so 
that  the  priests  raised  up  a  spirit  which  they  could 
not  allay.  At  last,  by  the  industry  of  Dr.  Morton, 
bishop  of  Coventry  and  Litchfield,  the  juggling  was 
laid  open  to  the  world  by  the  boy's  own  confession 
and  repentance ;  who  being  bound  an  apprentice,  at 
the  bishop's  cost,  verified  the  proverb,  that  "  an  unto- 
"  ward  boy  may  make  a  good  man." 

5Q.  Indeed,   all   this    king's  reign  was    scattered  cheaters  of 

1  •     1   •      1        o  •  several 

over  with  cheaters  m  this  knid.  Some  papists,  some  kinds, 
sectaries,  some  neither,  as  who  dissembled  such  pos- 
session, either  out  of  malice  to  be  revenged  on  those 
whom  they  accused  of  witchcraft,  or  covetousness  to 
enrich  themselves,  seeing  such,  who  out  of  charity  or 
curiosity  repaired  unto  them,  were  bountiful  in  their 
rehef  ^     But  take  a  few  of  many : — 


r  [Arthur  Wilson,  who  was  this  boy.     Gee's  Foot  out  of 

better  employed  in  writing  co-  the  Snare,  54.] 
medies,    has    devoted    several  *    [The  puritans  were  quite 

pages  of  his  history  to  this  ab-  as  impudent  as  the  papists  in 

surd  affair.   Hist,  of  K.  James,  these  tricks.     The  reader  will 

p.  107.]  find    several    stories    of    their 

s  [According  to  Gee,  Rich,  pretences  to  casting  out  devils, 

Baddelev   (probably   the    same  as  gross  as  any  here  mentioned, 

as  Morton's  chaplain)  publish-  in  Clarke's  "  Lives  of  32  Eng- 

ed    a   book    containing    a   full  "  lish  Divines,"  p.  32.  71,  sq. 

account   of  the   impostures   of  3rd  ed.  1677.  fol.] 

FULLEIt,   VOL.   V.  Gg 


450 


Tlie  C /lurch  History 


ISOOK  X. 


A.  D. 1617 
15  James. 


Papists. 

Sarali  Williams  ",  lying  past 
all  sense  in  a  trance,  had  a 
devil,  say  the  Romanists, 
slipped  up  into  her  leg. 

Grace  Sowrcbu  ts  ",  of  Sam- 
lesbury,  in  the  county  of 
Lancaster,  was  persuaded  by 
Southworthy,  a  priest,  to  dis- 
semble possession,  to  gain  him- 
self credit  by  exorcising  her. 

Mary  and  Amy  z,twomaids 
of  Westminster,  pretended 
themselves  in  raptures  from 
the  Virgin  Mary  and  Michael 
the  archangel  *. 

Edward  Hanceb,  [alias 
Hanz,]  a  popish  priest,  born 
at  Lutterworth  in  Leicester- 
shire, gave  it  out  that  he  was 
possessed  of  the  blessed  Tri- 
nity. 


No  Papists. 
Uich.  Haydok,  fellow  of 
New  College  in  Oxford, 
preached  in  his  dreams  Latin 
sermons  against  the  hierar- 
chy. He  afterwards  recant- 
ed, lived  in  good  esteem  to 
a  great  age  in  Salisbury, 
practising  physic,  being  also 
an  excellent  poet,  limner,  and 
engraver'^. 

Anne  Gunter,  a  maid  of 
Windsor,  gave  it  out  she 
was  possessed  of  a  devil,  and 
was  transported  with  strange 
ecstatical  phrensies. 

A  maid  at  Standon  in  Hert- 
fordshire, which  personated 
a  demoniac  so  lively,  that 
many  judicious  persons  were 
deceived  by  her. 


"  SeebishopHarsnethisbook 
on  this  subject,  p.  81.  [Wood's 
Ath.  I.  p.  678.] 

X  Gee's  Foot  out  of  the 
Snare,  p.  53. 

y  [Christopher  Southworth, 
alias  Thompson.  She  was  ex- 
amined before  Wm.  Leigh, 
B.D.  and  Edw.  Chisnall,  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  ;  Avhich  ex- 
amination was  published  by 
Thos.  Pots,  esq.    Gee,  ib.] 

z  Idem,  p.  54. 

="  [They  also  feigned  them- 
selves to  be  possessed  some- 
times by  iMr.  Molineux  and 
Mr.  Roberts,  two  priests  who 
had  been  executed  at  Tyburn. 
Gee,  ib.] 


^  Idem,  p.  55. 

c  [There  is  a  very  curious 
MS.  letter,  quoted  by  Kennett, 
(MS.  Coll.  vol.  LXXXIX.  p. 
31,)  since  published  by  Lodge, 
in  his  Illustrations  of  British 
Hist.  vol. III.  p.  275,  from  Ed. 
Lascells  to  the  earl  of  Shrews- 
bury, dated  Apr.  i  1,  1604, 
which  shews  how  great  a  stir 
this  cheat  produced.  The  writer 
says,  "  All  the  fellows  and 
"  scholars  in  the  college  come 
"  in  duely  to  hear  him  preach 
"  in  his  sleep,  as  they  do  to 
"  any  other  sermon,  and  when 
"  he  awakes  he  knoweth   no- 

"  thing  what  he  said He 

"  doth  always,  both  before  and 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Bnliiin.  451 

See  we  this  cataloo-ne  consists  most  of  tlio  weaker -A •  d.  1618. 

_  16  James. 

sex,  either  because  Satan  would   plant   his   battery 

where  easiest  to  make  a  breach,  or  because  he  found 
such  most  advantaged  for  dissembling-,  and  his  cloven 
foot  best  concealed  under  long  coats.  Indeed,  some 
feminine  weaknesses  made  them  more  strong  to 
delude ;  the  ruins  of  the  disease  of  the  mother  being 
the  best  foundation  to  build  such  impostury  thereon. 

57.  King  James  remembering  what  Solomon  King 
saith.  It  is  the  honour  of  a  king  to  search  out  a  dexterity  in 
matter^,  was  no  less  dexterous  than  desirous  to  make  j]^*^''"^ 
discovery  of  these  deceits.  Various  were  his  ways 
in  detecting  them,  aweing  some  into  confession  with 
his  presence,  persuading  others  by  promise  of  pardon 
and  fair  usage.  He  ordered  it  so,  that  a  proper 
courtier  made  love  to  one  of  these  bewitched  maids, 
and  quickly  Cupid's  arrows  drave  out  the  pretended 
darts  of  the  devil.  Another  there  was,  the  tides  of 
whose  possession  did  so  ebb  and  flow,  that  punc- 
tually they  observed  one  hour  till  the  king  came  to 
visit  her.  The  maid,  loath  to  be  so  unmannerly  as 
to  make  his  majesty  attend  her  time,  antedated  her 
fits  many  hours,  and  instantly  ran  through  the  whole 
zodiac  of  tricks  which  she  used  to  play.  A  third, 
strangely  affected  when  the  first  verse  of  St.  John's 
Gospel  was  read  unto  her  in  our  translation,  was 
tame  and  quiet  whilst  the  same  was  pronounced  in 
Greek,  her  English  devil  belike  understanding  no 
other  language.     The  frequency  of  such  forged  pos- 

"  after  the  sermon,  pray  very  "  three  that  have  heard  him,  and 

*•  zealously  and  orderly  for  the  "  the    king   thinks    it    a    very 

"  king    and    the    prince,    and  "  strange  thing,    and    resolves 

•'  proceeds  then  to  his  text,  as  "  to  send  for  him."] 
"  other  preachers  do.     It  hath  "^  Prov.  xxv.  2. 

"  heen  told  the  king  by  two  or 

C,  o-  2 


452  The  Church  Hi.Htoiy  book  x. 

A.  D.  1 6i8.  sessions  \M'Ought  such  an  alteration  upon  the  judg- 

\ — 1  ment  of  king  James,  that  he,  receding  from  what  he 

had  written  in  his  Demonology,  grew  first  diffident 
of,  and  then  flatly  to  deny  the  workings  of  witches 
and  devils  as  but  falsehoods  and  delusions. 
The  king's       58.  Kino^  James,  having:  last  year  in  his  progress 

declaration  °  .  . 

for  liberty   passed  tlirougli  Lancashire,  took  notice,  that  "  by  the 

on  the  .  „  .    ,       .  1         •     •    1  • 

Lord's  day. "  prcciseuess  01  some  magistrates  and  mmisters  in 
"  several  places  of  this  kingdom,  in  hindering  people 
"  from  their  recreations  on  the  Sunday,  the  papists  in 
"  this  realm  were  thereby  persuaded  that  no  honest 
"  mirth  or  recreation  was  tolerable  in  our  religion." 
Whereupon,  the  court  being  then  at  Greenwich,  he 
set  forth  a  declaration  to  this  effect,  that  "  for  his 
"  good  people's  lawful  recreations,  his  pleasure  was, 
"  that  after  the  end  of  divine  service  they  should 
"  not  be  disturbed,  letted,  or  discouraged  from  any 
"  lawful  recreations ;  such  as  dancing,  either  of  men 
"  or  women ;  archery  for  men,  leaping,  vaulting,  or 
"  any  such  harmless  recreations ;  nor  from  having  of 
"  May  games,  Whitsun-ales,  or  morris-dances,  and 
"  setting  up  of  May-jDoles,  or  other  sports  therewith 
"  used,  so  as  the  same  be  had  in  due  and  convenient 
"  time,  without  impediment  or  let  of  divine  service ; 
"  and  that  women  should  have  leave  to  carry  rushes 
"  to  the  church  for  the  decorating  of  it,  according  to 
"  their  old  custom;  withal,  prohibiting  all  unlawful 
"  games  to  be  used  on  the  Sundays  only,  as  bear- 
"  baiting,  bull-baiting,  interludes,  and  (at  all  times 
"  in  the  meaner  sort  of  people  by  law  prohibited) 
"  bowling." 
The  various  59.  gut  whcu  this  declaration  was  brought  abroad, 
thereof.  it  is  not  SO  hard  to  believe  as  sad  to  recount,  what 
grief  and  distraction  thereby  was  occasioned  in  many 


c  E  NT .  X  V 1 1 ,  i)f  Britain.  453 

honest    men's   hearts,    who    looked   on    it,   not    as  a.  d.  1618. 

1 6  James. 

local   for  Lancashire,  but  what   in   process  of  time 

would  enlarge  itself  all  over  England*^.  Some  con- 
ceived the  recreations  specified  impeditive  to  the 
observation  of  the  Lord's  day ;  yea,  unsuitable  and 
unbeseeming  the  essential  duties  thereof.  But  others 
maintained,  that  if  private  men's  speeches  must  not 
be  pressed  to  an  odious  construction,  much  more 
men  were  bound  candidly  to  interpret  the  acts  of 
authority;  and  in  charity  must  presume,  and  be 
persuaded,  that  religious  princes  will  command  no- 
thing, what  they  conceive  either  to  be  unjust,  or  not 
expedient,  all  things  considered.  They  considered 
moreover  (which  was  mainly  material)  that  this  de- 
claration was  not  dogmatical  or  doctrinal,  to  say  or 
aver  these  things  to  be  theologically  lawful,  but  it 
was  edictum  civile,  what  the  king  thought  fit  upon 
just  reasons  to  permit,  without  restraint  or  punish- 
ment. The  hardness  of  men's  hearts  on  one  side, 
which  will  break  loose  though  restrained,  and  the 
hope  of  gaining  others  on  the  other  side,  by  a  fa- 
vourable allowance,  might  be  just  motives  in  author- 
ity to  give  way  to  things  civUiter,  that  they  may  be 
done  ijnpune,  and  yet  not  prejudice  any  point  of 
religion,  and  not  be  done  licite^  as  in  divorces  eMra 
casiim  adulterii,  usury,  &c. 

60.  But  the  diflftculty  was  increased  when  minis-  Reasons  of 
ters  daily  feared  to  be  urged  upon  their  canonical  to  publish 
obedience  to  promulgate  and  publish  the  said  decla-Jalioir*" 
ration  in  their  parish  churches,  which  some  resolved 
flatly  to   refuse,   especially  such  who  formerly  had 
strictly  preached,  and  pressed  the  observation  of  the 
Lord's  day,  alleging  for,  and  applying  to  themselves 

f  80  it  was  in  tliu  reign  of  king  Charles,  anno  1633. 
Gg3 


454  Tlie  Church  History  bookx. 

A.  D.  1618.  that   place   of  St.  PauF,  For  if  I  build  again  the 
'-  things  which  I  have  destroyed,  I  make  mi/ self  a  trans- 
gressor.    Besides    this,    they    enforced    tlie    reasons 
following  for  their   recusancy ;  yea,  though  the  king 
himself  should  enjoin  them  on  their  allegiance. 

i.  That  the  publishing  of  this  declaration  would 
be  iiiterpretative  an  approbation  thereof,  whereas  on 
the  contraiy  they  are  ^  commanded  to  have  no  fellow- 
ship  with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather 
to  reprove  them. 

ii.  That  hereby  they  should  draw  a  just  woe  upon 
them  pronounced  by  the  prophet'',  Woe  unto  them 
that  decree  unrighteous  decrees,  and  that  ivrite  griev- 
ousness  which  they  have  prescribed.  Where  (as  the 
'learned  interpret)  even  public  notaries,  which  are 
but  instrumental,  are  threatened  with  a  curse. 

iii.  That  the  promulgation  of  a  law  is  de  essentia 
legis,  so  that  people  would  neither  take  notice  of 
this  declaration,  nor  liberty  by  it,  till  it  were  pub- 
lished, and  so  the  i)ublisher  should,  per  se,  be  a  pro- 
moter of  a  sin. 

iv.  That  obedience  to  authority  obligeth  only  in 
licitis  et  honestis ;  and  the  ^  apostle  confesseth, 
that  he  himself  had  power  to  edification,  and  not  to 
destruction ;  whereunto  the  publishing  thereof  did 
manifestly  tend. 
Theaigti-       61.  On   the   other   side,  some  learned  and  pious 

ments  for  .     .  ■,.■,,.,  .  , 

the  lawful  nuuisters,  who  in  their  judgments  were  convinced 
of  the'de.^'  that  some  of  the  aforesaid  recreations  were  incom- 
patible with  the  sanctification  of  the  sabbath ;  not- 
withstanding, in  case   his   majesty  should  enjoin  it, 

f  Gal.  ii.  1 8.  '  Junius  and  Piscator  on  the 

g  Ephes.  V.  11.  place. 

1'  Isa.  X.  1 .  ^2  Cor.  xiii.  ic. 


claration. 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  455 


on  serious  deliberation  resolved,  in  obedience  to  theA.D.  1618. 

10  James. 

king,  publicly  to  read,  or  cause  the  reading  of  the 

declaration,  not  looking  at  the  contents  therein,  but 
at  the  authority  commanding  the  publication  there- 
of; the  rather,  because  no  subscription  was  required, 
or  vocal  assent  to  approve,  what  therein  was  con- 
tained to  be  just,  or  affirm  it  to  be  true ;  but  a  bare 
ministerial  declaring  of  the  king's  will  and  pleasure 
therein,  which  they  conceived  themselves  bound  in 
conscience  to  perform,  for  the  reasons  ensuing : 

i.  The  refusal,  well  observed,  doth  resolve  into  a 
principle  which  would  take  away  the  necessity  of 
obedience  universally,  when  the  party  commanded 
can  pretend  the  magistrate  ought  not  to  command 
him  any  such  thing;  and  if  the  prince  must  sus- 
pend his  edicts  upon  each  subject's  doubt,  he  should 
never  set  forth  any,  considering  the  variety  of  judg- 
ments, and  the  distractions  which  are  in  his  sub- 
jects. 

ii.  A  sheriff  may,  yea  must,  disperse  the  king  his 
proclamations,  which  he  liketli  not ;  and  a  clerk,  at 
the  command  of  his  master,  a  justice  of  peace,  may 
lawfully  write  the  mittimus  of  that  person  to  prison 
whom  in  his  particular  judgment  he  conceiveth  to 
be  innocent :  and  (what  is  most  proper  to  our  pur- 
pose, because  a  religious  instance)  a  minister,  with- 
out any  sin,  may  safely  pronounce  an  excommunica- 
tion, legally  delivered  unto  him,  though  in  his  own 
private  conscience  he  be  convinced  that  the  party  is 
unjustly  excommunicated. 

iii.  There  are  many  precedents  hereof  in  antiquity. 
A  father^  gives  this  censure,  that  when  the  Jews, 

1  Optatus  [de  Schism.  Douat.  lib.  VII.  p.  110.  ed.  1702.] 
G  g  4 


4:56  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A. D.  1618. commanded  by  Antioclms,  gave  up  the  divine  books 

^  to  his  officers  to  be  destroyed,  it  was  peccatum — 

imperantis  et  minantis ;  non  popidi,  cum  tremoi^e  et 
dolore  tradentis,  "  a  sin  of  him  that  commanded  and 
"  threatened  it ;  not  of  the  people,  who  surrendered 
"  up  those  volumes  with  fear  and  sorrow."  And 
St.  Augustine"*  resolveth  it  in  the  case  of  a  Christ- 
ian soldier  fighting  under  a  sacrilegious  emperor; 
that,  though  he  be  not  satisfied  in  the  lawfulness  of 
the  commands,  he  may  notwithstanding  lawfully 
obey.  Ita  ut  fortasse  reiim  regem  facial  iniquitas 
imperandi,  innocentem  autem  militem  ostendat  ordo 
serviendi.  And,  what  is  most  apposite  to  the  mat- 
ter in  hand,  (because  the  edict  of  a  godly  emperor, 
seriously  distasted  by  a  godly  bishop)  INIauritius  set 
forth  a  command,  that  "no  soldier  should  be  ad- 
"  mitted  into  a  monastery;"  and  though  Gregory  the 
Great  was  persuaded  the  prohibition  was  in  itself 
injurious  and  unlawful,  yet  he  did  per  "^ diver sas  ter- 
rarum  partes  transmittere  legem,  quia  erat  suhjectus 
ejus  jussionibiis. 

Convinced  with  these  reasons,  some  ministers  (not 
with  any  delight  in  the  message,  but  in  duty  to  the 
authority  which  sent)  intended  (if  jmt  to  the  trial) 
sadly  and  unwillingly  to  publish  the  declaration. 
A  third  sort      A  third   sort   took  up   a  resolution   to   read  the 
strang'e''"xf  declaration,  or  suffer  it  to  be  read,  and  presently 
pedieut.      ^^^^^  ^^  preach  against  the  contents  of  what  they 
had  published ;  hoping  so,  warily  to  avoid  the  dan- 
ger of  disobedience  in  refusing  to  promulgate  it,  and 
of  profaneness  in  seeming  to  approve  it.     But  whe- 
ther by  this  middle  way,  setting  God  and  the  king 

m  Contra  Faustum  XXII.  c.  75.  "  Lib.  II.  Ep.  62. 


cKNT.  XVII.  of  Bntain.  457 

as  openly  opi>ositc,  tliey  would  have  declined  or  con-A.  i>.  i6r8. 
tractcd  more  odium,  it  is  hard  to  determine.  '' 

62.  But  now,  after  so  long  and  many  diversities  Lancashire 

-.      .  ■,  ,      .  ministers 

of  opinions  and  arguments  on  several  sides,  their  own  more  scared 
fear  proved  at  last  their  only  foe;  the  king's  good-*'^"  ""^ ' 
iiess  taking  away  the  subject  of  their  jealousy ;  so 
that  no  minister  in  the  county  was  enjoined  to  read 
the  book  in  his  parish,  wdierewith  they  had  so 
affrighted  themselves.  However,  their  arguments 
may  be  kei»t  cold,  and  laid  up  provisionally  against  the 
time  they  had  use  thereof,  especially  for  such  who 
survived  till  the  seventh  of  king  Charles,  when  the 
declaration  for  liberty  on  the  Lord's  day  was  en- 
joined (though  not  by  the  king)  the  ministers  to 
publish  clean  through  the  land. 

63.  However,   there   wanted   not  many,  both  in  a  fourth 

sort  read  it 

Lancashire  and  elsewhere,  who  conceived  the  decla- with  appro- 

_       ,  ,  ,  ,11  bation  of 

ration  came  forth  seasonably  to  suppress  the  danger-  the  contents 
ous  endeavour  of  such  who  now  began  in  their '^'^''''^'"' 
pulpits  to  broach  the  dregs  of  Judaism,  and  force 
Christians  to  drink  them.  So  that  those  legal  cere- 
monies, long  since  dead,  buried,  and  rotten  in  the 
grave  of  our  Saviour,  had  now  their  ghosts,  as  it 
were,  walking;  frighting  such  people  with  their 
terrible  apparitions,  who  were  persuaded  by  some 
preachers  to  so  rigorous  observation  of  the  sabbath, 
that  therein  it  was  unlaw^ful  to  dress  meat,  sweep 
their  houses,  kindle  the  fire,  or  the  like.  Yea,  and 
the  papists,  in  Lancashire  especially  (a  frontier  coun- 
try, as  I  may  term  it,  of  papists  and  protestants, 
where  the  reformed  religion  had  rather  a  truce  than 
a  peace,  standing  on  its  guard  and  posture  of  de- 
fence) I  say,  in  Lancashire  the  Romanists  made 
advantage    of   this    strictness    to    pervert    many    to 


458 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D.  1618. popery,  persuading   them   that  the   protestant   reli- 

! Lgion  was  the  school  of  Tyraniius,  where  no  lawful 

liberty  was  allowed.  And  no  Monder  if  many 
common  people  were  hereby  fetched  off  unto  them, 
starting-  aside  as  a  broken  bow,  chiefly  because  over- 
bent  for  lack  of  lawful  recreation.  But  enough 
hereof,  and  too  much  (if  not  pressed  thereunto  in 
pursuance  of  our  history)  and  yet  ere  long  we  must 
have  more  on  the  same  sad  subject  °. 


o  [In  Biirwick's  Life  of  Dr. 
Morton  is  some  curious  infor- 
mation respecting  this  subject 
which  is  not  generally  known. 
At  the  time  when  iMorton  was 
promoted  to  Durham  the  north- 
ern counties  abounded  with  Ro- 
man catholics,  and,  as  king 
James  asserts  in  his  declara- 
tion, the  "  county  of  Lanca- 
"  shire  abounded  more  in  po- 
*'  })ish  recusants  than  any  coun- 
"  ty  in  England."  In  these 
parts  of  the  realm  "  it  was  no 
"  small  policy  (says  Dr.  Bar- 
"  wick)  in  the  leaders  of  the 
"  popish  party  to  keep  the 
"  people  from  church  by  danc- 
"  ing  and  other  recreations, 
"  even  in  the  time  of  divine 
"  service,  especially  on  holy- 
"  days,  and  the  Lord's  day  in 
"  the  afternoon.  By  which 
"  means  they  kept  the  people 
"  in  ignorance  and  luke-warm- 
"  ness,  and  so  made  them  the 
"  more  capable  to  be  wrought 
"  upon  by  their  emissaries  ; 
"  which  gross  abuse  this  bi- 
"  shop  endeavoured  to  redress 
"  in  his  primary  visitation.  But 
"  it  was  represented  to  king 
"  James  as  a  very  great  griev- 
'*  ance,    at    his   return    out   of 


Scotland  through  Lancashire 
in  161 7,  by  some  in  court 
who  were  too  favorable  to 
that  party.  And  his  readi- 
ness to  hear  any  complaint 
against  a  thing  that  carried 
but  the  name  of  a  public 
grievance,  encouraged  some 
to  so  much  boldness  the  next 
Lord's  day  after,  as  even  to 
disturb  the  public  worship 
and  service  of  God  by  their 
piping  and  dancing  within 
the  hearing  of  all  those  that 
were  at  church,  whereof  the 
king  being  fully  informed  by 
this  bishop,  utterly  disavow- 
ed any  thoughts  or  intention 
of  encouraging  such  profane- 
ness  :  and  therefore  left  them 
that  were  guilty  of  it  to  the 
bishop's  censure,  which  he 
inflicted  only  upon  one  that 
was  the  head  and  causer  of 
it.  There  wanted  not  some 
still  to  complain  to  the  king 
of  the  bishop's  proceedings 
herein  as  rigorous  and  tyran- 
nical, considering  that  the 
chief  thing  they  desired  was 
only  some  innocent  recrea- 
tion for  servants  and  other 
inferior  people  on  the  Lord's 
day,    and    holy-days,   whose 


CENT.   XVII. 


of  Brltahi. 


459 


64«.     Now    of   the    broacliers    of  Judaism,    John  a.  d.  1618. 
Traske  was  a   principal.     Whether  ever  he  sucked  — '-- — '- 
on   the  breasts  of  either    University,   or    only  was  cai  opinions 
brought  up  by  hand  in  some  petty  school,  I  knowt^raske! 
not.     This  I  know,  that  seeking  to  be  made  deacon, 
or  minister,   by  James,  bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells, 
doctor  Samuel  AVard,  then  poser,  and  the  bishop's 
chaplain,    refused    him    as    altogether    insufficient. 
However,  afterwards  he  got  orders,  and  then  began 
to  vent  his  opinions ;    that  "  the  Lord's  day  was  to 
"  be  observed  with  the  same  strictness  by  Christians 
"as  it  was  by  Jews;"    and,  that   "all  meats  and 


"  laborious  callings  deprived 
"  them  of  it  at  all  other  times  j 
"  and  thereupon  to  solicit  his 
"  majesty  for  some  power 
"  therein,  and  the  rather  be- 
"  cause  it  was  the  general  de- 
"  sire  of  most  of  that  country. 
"  Which  the  king  finding  to  be 
"  true  upon  enquiry,  and  will- 
"  ing  to  give  them  satisfaction 
"  therein,  consulted  with  this 
"  reverend  person,  being  the 
"  bishop  of  that  diocese,  how 
"  he  might  satisfy  their  desires 
"  without  endangering  this  li- 
"  berty  to  be  turned  into  licen- 
"  tiousness.  The  bishop  here- 
"  upon,  retiring  from  the  court 
"  at  Haughton  Tower  to  his 
"  oAvn  lodging  at  Preston,  con- 
"  sidered  of  six  limitations  or 
"  restrictions,  by  way  of  con- 
"  dition,  to  be  imposed  upon 
"  every  man  that  should  enjoy 
"  the  benefit  of  that  liberty  ; 
"  Avhich  he  presented  to  the 
"  king  in  writing  the  next  day, 
"  and  which  the  king  did  very 
"  well  approve  of,  and  added 
"  a   seventh  ;  saying  only,   he 


"  would  alter  them  from  the 
"  words  of  a  bishop  to  the 
"  Avords  of  a  king.  It  is  not 
"  to  be  omitted  that  bishop 
"  Andrews  attended  the  king 
"  at  the  same  time,  and  there- 
"  fore  in  all  probability  was 
"  consulted  in  the  same  busi- 
"  ness.  But  all  that  I  can 
"  positively  say  in  it  is  what 
"  I  have  here  said,  and  this  I 
"  can  positively  say,  because  I 
"  have  often  heard  it  from  this 
"  reverend  bishop's  own  mouth. 
"  All  the  arguments  I  could 
"  ever  yet  see  urged  against 
"  the  lawfulness  of  what  is 
"  permitted  by  [this  declara- 
"  tion],  taking  it  as  it  is  still 
"  and  ever  was,  restrained  by 
"  these  limitations  and  condi- 
"  tions,  are  grounded  upon  no 
"  other  bottom  for  the  most 
"  part,  than  the  bare  name  of 
"  sabbath  as  it  is  applied  or 
♦'  misapjdied  to  the  Lord's 
"  day."  Life  of  ^Morton,  p. 
80.  The  King's  Declaration 
is  printed  in  Wilkins'  Cone. 
IV.  p.  4«3-] 


460  The  Church  Hhtory  book  x. 

A.D.  1618.  drinks  forbidden  in  the  Levitieal  law  bound  Chris- 

-Itians  to  the  same  observance,"  thereby  opening  a  door 

to  let  in  the  rabble  of  all  ceremonies:  thus  he  brouoht 
in  a  constant  lent  of  his  own  making  ;  and  whereas 
divines  can  forbid  no  meat  as  unlawful  (though 
politicians  may  as  unthrifty  for  the  state,  and  phy- 
sicians as  unhealthful  for  the  body)  because  Christ 
hath  given  us  that  licence,  To  the  clean  all  things 
are  clean,  yet  he  seduced  many  souls  with  his  tenets, 
and  his  own  wife  amongst  many  others.  For  these 
lie  was  censured  in  the  Star  chamber,  but  afterwards 
recanted  his  opinions,  and  lived  (as  unsettled  in 
judgment  as  place)  in  several  parts  of  the  kingdom. 
I  have  heard  him  preach  a  sermon  nothing  relating 
to  the  aforesaid  doctrine,  and  wdien  his  auditors  have 
forgotten  the  matter,  they  will  remember  the  loud- 
ness of  his  stentorious  voice,  which  indeed  had  more 
strength  than  any  thing  else  he  delivered.  He  after- 
wards relapsed,  not  into  the  same  but  other  opinions, 
rather  humourous  than  hurtful,  and  died  obscurely  at 
Lambeth  in  the  reign  of  king  Charles.  Nor  must 
we  forget  that  his  wife  could  never  be  unperverted 
again,  but  perished  in  her  Judaism ;  because,  as  our 
Saviour  P  observeth,  proselytes  in  general  are  two- 
fold worse  than  their  leader ;  and  her  sex  (as  pliable 
to  receive  as  tenacious  to  retain)  had  weakness 
enough  to  embrace  an  error,  and  obstinacy  too  much 
to  forsake  it*!i. 

P  Matt.  xiii.  15.  an  ignorant  person,  bnt  is,  on 
'1  [I  have  in  my  possession  the  contrary,  remarkable  for 
a  remarkable  tract,  entitled,  the  excellence  of  its  style  and 
"  Liberty  from  Judaism,"  writ-  spirit,  particularly  the  intro- 
ten  by  this  John  Traske,  after  duction  to  his  "  holy  and  ten- 
he  had  seen  and  repented  of  "  der  mother,  the  Church  of 
his  error.  It  is  certainly  not  "  England." 
the  production   of  a   weak   or  Alluding   to    his   error    and 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  461 


Q5.   At  this  time  beoan  the  troubles  in  the  Lowa.d  ids. 

*='  •  1   1  10  James. 

Countries  about  matters  of  religion,  lieiglitened  be- 

tween  two  opposite  parties,  remonstrants  and  contra- 
remonstrants ;  their  controversies  being  chiefly  re- 
ducible to  five  points  :  of  predestination  and  repro- 
bation ;  of  the  latitude  of  Christ's  death  ;  of  the 
power  of  man's  free  will,  both  before  and  after  his 
conversion ;  and  of  the  elect's  perseverance  in  grace. 
To  decide  these  difficulties,  the  States  of  the  United 
Provinces  resolved  to  call  a  national  synod  at  Dort ; 
and  to  give  the  more  lustre  and  weight  to  the  de- 
terminations thereof,  desired  some  foreign  princes  to 
send  them  the  assistance  of  their  divines  for  so  pious 
a  work ;  especially  they  requested  our  king  of  Great 
Britain  to  contribute  his  aid  thereunto,  (being  him- 
self as  forward  to  do  as  they  desire  any  thing  con- 
ducible  to  God's  glory  and  the  church's  good,)  who, 
out  of  his  own  princely  wisdom  and  free  favour, 
made  choice  of  George  Carleton,  doctor  of  divinity, 
then  bishop  of  Llandaff,  and  afterward  bishop  of 
Chichester ;  Joseph  Hall,  doctor  of  di\inity,  then 
dean  of  Worcester,  and  afterward  bishop  of  Exeter 
and  Norwich ;  John  Davenant,  doctor  of  divinity, 
then  Margaret  professor,  and  master  of  Queen's 
College  in  Cambridge,  afterwards  bishop  of  Salisbury; 


repentance     he    concludes   his  "  militem   scimus  post  multas 

treatise  in  these  words;     "  non  "  fugas  virum  fortem  fuisse  et 

"  est  grave  cadere   luctantem,  "  vicisse  victores." 

"  sed  jacere  dejectum  :   non  est  This  pamphlet  was  published 

"  perniciosum    in    prcelio  vul-  in  1620. 

"  n^'rari,  sed  post  vulnus  accej)-  The  most  curious  account  of 

"  turn  desperatione  curandi  me-  John  Traske  and  his  opinions, 

"  delamvulneridenegare.  Seepe  together  with  some  of  his  let- 

"  etiam  athletas  videmus  post  ters,  will  be  found  in  Pagett's 

"  frequentes  lapsus    et    dejec-  Heresiography.     Bp.  Andrews 

"  tiones    plurimas    coronatos  ;  preached  against  this  heresy.] 


462  The  Church  Hisfon/  kook  x. 

A.D.  i6r8.  Samuel   Ward,   doctor  of  divinity,   then   master  of 

!'  Sidney  College    in   Cambridge,    and   archdeacon    of 

These  ill-   Tannton.     These,   according  to  their  summons,  re- 

stnictioiis  I.,  ,.  ,  ^_  .        ,    ^ 

saw  trail-  pairuig  to  his  uiajcsty  at  Newmarket,  received  from 
of'Dr.  Da-  ^^^^^  there  these  following  instructions  concerning 
venanthis  their  beliEviour  in  the  synod  : 

ovn  maim-  •' 

script.  i.  Our  will  and  pleasure  is,  That  from  this  time 

forward,  ujion  all  occasions,  you  inure  yourselves  to 
the  practice  of  the  Latin  tongue  ;  that  when  there 
is  cause  you  may  deliver  your  minds  with  more 
readiness  and  facility. 

ii.  You  shall  in  all  points  to  be  debated  and  dis- 
puted resolve  amongst  yourselves  beforehand  what 
is  the  true  state  of  the  question,  and  jointly  and 
uniformly  agree  thereupon. 

iii.  If  in  debating  of  the  cause  by  the  learned 
men  there,  any  thing  be  emergent  whereof  you 
thought  not  before,  you  shall  meet  and  consult 
thereupon  again,  and  so  resolve  among  yourselves 
jointly  what  is  fit  to  be  maintained  ;  and  this  to  be 
done  agreeable  to  the  scriptures  and  the  doctrine 
of  the  Church  of  England. 

iv.  Your  advice  shall  be  to  those  churches,  that 
their  ministers  do  not  deliver  in  the  pulpit  to  the 
people  those  things  for  ordinary  doctrines  which  are 
the  highest  points  of  schools,  and  not  fit  for  vulgar 
capacity,  but  disputable  on  both  sides. 

v.  That  they  use  no  innovation  in  doctrine,  but 
teach  the  same  things  which  were  taught  twenty  or 
thirty  years  past,  in  their  own  churches ;  and  espe- 
cially that  which  contradicteth  not  their  own  con- 
fessions so  long  since  published  and  known  unto  the 
world. 

vi.  That  they  conform  themselves  to  the   public 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  4^3 

confessions  of  the  neigli hour-reformed  churches,  with  a. d.  1618. 

whom  to  hohl  good  correspondency  shall  be  no  dis 

honour  to  them. 

vii.  That  if  there  be  main  opposition  between  any 
who  are  overmuch  addicted  to  their  own  opinions, 
your  endeavour  shall  be,  that  certain  positions  be 
moderately  laid  down,  which  may  tend  to  the  miti- 
gation of  heat  on  both  sides. 

viii.  That  as  you  principally  look  to  God's  glory 
and  the  peace  of  those  distracted  churches,  so  you 
have  an  eye  to  our  honour,  who  send  and  employ 
you  thither;  and  consequently  at  all  times  consult 
with  our  ambassador  there  residing,  who  is  best 
acquainted  with  the  form  of  those  countries,  under- 
standeth  well  the  questions  and  differences  among 
them,  and  shall  from  time  to  time  receive  our 
princely  directions,  as  occasion  shall  require. 

ix.  Finally  ;  in  all  other  things  w^hich  we  cannot 
foresee,  you  shall  carry  yourselves  with  that  advice, 
moderation,  and  discretion,  as  to  persons  of  your 
quality  and  gravity  shall  appertain. 

Doctor  Davenant  and  doctor  Ward  presented 
themselves  again  to  his  majesty,  at  Royston,  Oc- 
tober 8th,  where  his  majesty  vouchsafed  his  familiar 
discourse  unto  them  for  two  hours  together,  com- 
manding them  to  sit  down  by  him,  and  at  last 
dismissed  them  with  his  solemn  prayer,  that  God 
would  bless  their  endeavours,  which  made  them 
cheerfully  to  depart  his  presence. 

QQ.  Addressing  themselves  now  with  all  possible 
speed  to  the  sea  side,  they  casually  missed  that  man 
of  war  which  the  States  had  sent  to  conduct  them 
over,  (though  they  saw  him  on  sea  at  some  dis- 
tance,) and  safely  went  over  in  a  small  vessel,  land- 


464  The  Church  Histori/  hook  x. 

.\  D..6.8.ii^„  October  20th  at  Middlcburoh.     On  the  27th  of 

1 6  James.        '='  ^ 

the  same  month  they  came  to  Hague,  ^\here  they 

kissed  the  hand  of  his  excellency  Grave  JNIaurice, 
to  whom  the  bishop  made  a  short  speech,  and  by 
whom  they  were  all  courteously  entertained  :  hence 
they  removed  to  Dort,  where,  November  3rd,  the 
synod  began,  and  where  we  leave  them  with  the 
rest  of  their  fellow  divines,  when  first  every  one 
of  them  had  taken  this  admission  oath  at  their 
entrance  into  the  synod. 

"  I  promise  before  God"",  whom  I  believe  and 
"  adore,  the  present  searcher  of  the  heart  and  reins, 
"  that  in  all  this  synodal  action,  wherein  shall  be 
"  appointed  the  examination,  judgment,  and  deci- 
"  sion,  as  well  of  the  known  five  articles,  and 
"  difiiculties  thence  arising,  as  of  all  other  doc- 
"  trinals ;  that  I  will  not  make  use  of  any  human 
"  writing,  but  only  of  God's  word,  for  the  certain 
"  and  undoubted  rule  of  faith  :  and  that  I  shall 
"  propound  nothing  to  myself  in  this  whole  cause 
"  besides  the  glory  of  God,  the  peace  of  the  church, 
"  and  especially  the  preservation  of  the  purity  of 
"  doctrine  therein.  So  may  my  Saviour  Jesus  Christ 
"  be  merciful  unto  me,  whom  I  earnestly  pray,  that 
"  in  this  my  purpose  He  would  always  be  present 
"  with  me  with  the  grace  of  His  Spirit." 

I  say,  we  leave  them  here  with  their  fellow 
divines  ;  for  should  my  pen  presume  to  sail  over  the 
sea,  it  would  certainly  meet  with  a  storm  in  the 
passage ;  the  censure  of  such  \\\\o  will  justly  con- 
demn it  for  meddling  with  transmarine  matters,  espe- 
cially doctrinal  points,  utterly  alien  from  my  present 

•■  Acta  Synodi  Dordrecht! ,  p.  64,  ed.  1620. 


OENT.  xvn.  of  Britain.  4-65 

subject — only  a  touch  of  an  historical  passage  there- ad.  i6i8. 

1 6. James. 

in,  confining  ourselves  to  our  own  countrymen.  

67.  These  four  divines  had  allowed  them  by  the  ,'1'''^' ^'«;es' 

'  ■^  hlii'ral  ai- 

States  ten  pounds  sterling  a  day,  threescore  and  ten  lowance  to 

'  o  ^  the  Knglisli 

pounds  by  the  week;  an  entertannnent  tar  larger  divines. 
than  what  was  appointed  to  any  other  foreign  theo- 
logues,  and  politicly  proportioned  in  grateful  con- 
sideration of  the  greatness  of  his  majesty  who  em- 
ployed them.  And  these  English  divines,  knowing 
themselves  sent  over,  not  to  gain  wealth  to  them- 
selves, but  glory  to  God  and  reputation  to  their 
sovereign,  freely  gave  what  they  had  freely  received, 
keeping  a  table  general  where  any  fashionable  fo- 
reigner was  courteously  and  plentifully  entertained. 

68.  They  were  commanded  by  the  king  to  give  Weekly  in- 

tcIliu'tincGto 

him  a  weekly  account  (each  one  in  his  several  week  the  king 
according  to  their  seniority)  of  all  memorable  pas- ^'i"",", J.^ 
sages  transacted  in  the  synod*";  yet  it  happened, 
that  for  a  month  or  more  the  king  received  from 
them  no  particulars  of  their  proceedings,  whereat 
his  majesty  was  most  highly  offended :  but  after- 
wards understanding  that  this  defect  was  caused  by 
the  countermands  of  an  higher  king,  even  of  him 
icho  (jathereth  the  wind  in  his  fist. s^\  stopping  all  pas- 
sages by  contrary  weather,  no  wonder  if  he,  who 
was  so  great  a  peacemaker,  was  himself  so  quickly 
pacified  ;  yea,  afterguards  highly  })leased,  when  four 
weekly  dispatches  (not  neglected  to  be  orderly  sent 
but  delayed  to  be  accordingly  brought)  came  alto- 
gether to  his  majesty's  hands.  ^^''-  ^^}- 

~  '^        •'  canqiiall 

69.  On  the  10th  of   December,  Walter  Balcan- admitteti 

into  the  sy- 
nod. 

s  [See  a  letter  from  Bedell  to     p.  228.] 
Ward,  in  reference  to  this  sub-  *   Prov.  xxx.  4. 

ject,    in   Tanner's   Coll.   Ixxiv. 

FULLER,    VOL.  V.  H  h 


466 


The  Church  History 


A.D.  1618.  quail,  bachelor  of  divinity,  and  fellow  of  Pembroke 

'-  Hall,    came    into    the    synod,    where  his  credential 

letters  from  king  James  were  publicly  read,  whose 
pleasure  it  was  that  he  should  be  added  to  the  four 
English  colleagues  in  the  name  of  the  church  of 
Scotland.  The  president  of  the  synod  welcomed 
him  with  a  short  oration,  which  by  Mr.  Balcanquall 
was  returned  with  another",  and  so  was  he  conducted 
to  his  place;  a  place  built  for  him  particularly,  as 
one  coming  after  all  the  rest,  so  that  his  seat  dis- 
composed the  uniformity  of  the  building,  exactly 
regular  before.  But  it  matters  not  how  the  seats 
were  ordered,  so  that  the  judgments  of  such  as  sat 
therein  were  conformed  to  the  truth  of  the  scriptures. 
Dr.  Hall  70.  Doctor  Josopli  Hall  being  at  the  synod  of 
thence.  Dort,  and  finding  much  indisposition  in  himself,  the 
air  not  agreeing  with    his    health,  on    his   humble 


u  [He  was  by  birth  a  Scotch- 
man, chaplain  to  the  king,  and 
had  been  master  of  the  hospital 
called  the  Savoy  in  the  Strand, 
wliich  upon  his  resignation  was 
given  to  Ant.  de  Dominis,  Abp. 
of  Spalato ;  but  that  prelate 
not  retaining  it  long,  it  was 
again  restored  to  Dr.  Balcan- 
quall. In  1624  he  was  made 
dean  of  Rochester,  from  which 
place  he  was  promoted  to  the 
deanery  of  Durham  in  1639. 
Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  great 
rebellion,  he  was  stripped  and 
plundered  by  the  presbyterians, 
and  being  a  particular  object  of 
hatred  to  them  for  his  loyalty 
to  the  king  and  his  activity  in 
defeating  their  designs,  he  was 
obliged  to  Hee  for  his  life  and 
escape  into  Derbyshire,  where 
he  was  hospitably  received  by 


sir  Thomiis  Middleton  of  Chirk 
castle.  There  the  malice  of  his 
enemies  still  following  him  he 
was  compelled  to  seek  a  place 
of  greater  security,  and  worn 
out  with  fatigue,  cold,  and  sick- 
ness, he  shortly  after  died  on 
Christmas-day,  1645.  (See 
Wood's  Fasti,  Oxon.  I.  2ri, 
and  his  epitaph  in  the  Ath.  III. 
T  80.  Walker's  Sufferings  of 
the  Clergy,  19.)  He  was  sent 
to  Dort  as  a  representative  of 
the  Church  of  Scotland,  though 
afterwards  no  favourite  with  his 
countrymen,  as  havingbeen  sup- 
posed to  have  drawn  up  "  The 
"  Declaration  of  king  Charles  I. 
"  concerning  the  late  tumnlts  in 
"  Scotland,  Sfc."  Lond.  1639, 
fol.  ;  see  a  pamphlet  entitled, 
the  Canterburian's  Self  Con- 
viction.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  467 

request    obtained   his   majesty's    leave    to    return ;  a.  d.i 619. 

whereupon,  composing  his  countenance  with  a  he-— '- 

coming  gravity,   he  publicly  took  his  solemn  fare- 
well of  the  synod  with  the  speech  following'': 

"  Non  facile  vero  mecum  in  gratiam  redierit  ca- 
daverosa  haec  moles,  quam  aegre  usque  circum- 
gesto,  quae  mihi  hujus  conventus  celebritatem  toties 
inviderit,  jamque  prorsus  invitissimum  a  vobis  im- 
portune avocat,  et  divellit.  Neque  enim  uUus  est 
profecto  sub  coelo  locus  aeque  coeli  aemulus,  et  in 
quo  tentorium  mihi  figi  maluerim,  cujusque  adeo 
gestiet  mihi  animus  meminisse.  Beatos  vero  vos, 
quibus  hoc  frui  datum  !  non  dignus  eram  ego  (ut 
fidelissimi  Romani  querimoniam  imitari  liceat)  qui 
et  Christi  et  Ecclesiae  suae  nomine  sanctam  banc 
provinciam  diutius  sustinerem.  Illud  vero  Oeou 
ev  yovvaa-i.  Nempe  audito,  quod  res  erat,  non 
alia  me  quam  adversissima  hie  usum  valetudine, 
serenissimus  rex  mens  misertus  miselli  famuli  sui, 
revocat  me  domum,  quippe  quod  cineres  meos,  aut 
sandapilam  vobis  nihil  quicquam  prodesse  posse 
norit,  succenturiavitque  mihi  virum  e  suis  selectissi- 
mum,  quantum  theologum  !  De  me  profecto  (mero 
jam  silicernio)  quicquid  fiat,  viderit  ille  Deus  mens, 
cujus  ego  totus  sum.  Vobis  quidem  ita  feliciter 
prospectum  est,  ut  sit  cur  infirmitati  meae  baud 
parum  gratulemini,  quum  hujusmodi  instructissimo 
succedaneo  coetum  hunc  vestrum  beaverit.  Neque 
tamen  committam  (si  Deus  mihi  vitam  et  vires 
indulserit)  ut  et  corpore  simul  et  animo  abesse 
videar.  Interea  sane  huic  synodo,  ubicunque  ter- 
rarum  sum,  et  vobis,  consiliis  conatibusque  meis 

'<•   [This  oration  exists  in   MS.  among  Tanner's  Collection  in 
the  Bodleian,  vol.  Ixxiv.  p.  215.] 

H  h  2 


468  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1619. "  quibuscunque,  res  vestras  me,  pro  virili,  sedulo  ac 

1 7  James.    , .  .  ,  t  .  ,  . 

serio  promotunim,    sancte  voveo.     Interim   vobis 

"  omnibus  ac  singulis,  honoratissimi  domini  delegati, 
"  reverendissime  prseses,  gravissimi  assessores,  scriba? 
"  doctissimi,  symmystse  colendissimi,  tibique  vene- 
"  randissima  synodus  universa,  segro  animo  ac  cor- 
"  pore  seternum  valedico.  Rogo  vos  omnes  obnixius, 
'*  ut  precibus  vestris  imbecillem  reducera  facere, 
"  comitari,  prosequi  velitis." 

Thus  returned  Dr.  Hall  into  his  own  country;  since 
so  recovered  (not  to  say  revived  therein)  that  he  hath 
gone  over  the  graves  of  all  his  English  colleagues 
there,  and  (what  cannot  God  and  good  air  do)  sur- 
viving in  health  at  this  day,  three  and  thirty  years 
after,  may  well  with  Jesse,  go  amongst  men  for  an 
old  man  in  these  days  y ;  and  living  privately,  having 
passed  through  the  bishoprics  of  Exeter  and  Norwich, 
hath  now  the  opportunity  in  these  troublsome  times 
effectually  to  practise  those  his  precepts  of  patience 
and  contentment  which  his  pen  hath  so  eloquently 
recommended  to  others. 

Dr. Goad  in      <ji    Qn  the  7th  of  January,  Tliomas  Goad,  doctor 

the  room  ot  •' 

Dr.  Hall,  of  divinity,  chaplain  to  George,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, came  into  the  synod,  sent  thither  by  his 
majesty   of  Great  Britain^.      The   president  enter- 

y    I  Sam.  xvii.  12.  bury,  and  died  in  1638.     (See 

2   [Son  of  Dr.  Roger  Goad,  Wood's  Fasti,  Oxon.  I.  206.) 

provost  of  King's  Coll.  in  Camb.  Though  a  theologian  of  great 

the  intimate  friend  of  the  cele-  eminence  in  his  own  days,  no- 

brated  Dr.  Whitaker,  on  whose  thing  has  been  published  of  his 

death  he  wrote  a  copy  of  Latin  remains  except  a  short  disputa- 

verses,  as  did  also  the  son.   (See  tion  upon  the   "  Necessity  and 

them    printed    at    the    end    of  "  Contingency  of  Events,"  sub- 

Whitaker's  Life,   subjoined  to  joined     to     bishop    Womack's 

his  Presbyt.  Theol.  ed.  1603.)  "Result  of  False  Principles;" 

Dr.   Thomas  Goad   was    made  and  a  few  letters  in  the  Epi- 

dean  of  Bocking  in   1633,  and  stola?,    signed    in     conjunction 

was  also  a  prebend   of  Canter-  with  the  rest  of  his  colleagues.] 


CENT.   XVII. 


ofBritam. 


469 


tained  him  with  a  solemn  oration,  highly  commend- a.  d.  1619. 

ing  king  James's  care,  not  recalling  one  divine  till — 

he  had  substituted  another.  The  doctor  requited 
him  with  a  pithy  oration,  promising  the  utmost  of 
his  assistance  to  the  general  good,  a  promise  by  him 
well  performed,  giving  afterwards  ample  testimony 
of  his  general  learning  and  solid  judgment  in  di- 
vinity; nothing  being  wanting  in  him  but  that  he 
came  hither  so  late  to  this  employment  *. 


"  [This  letter,  written  by  bp. 
Hall  on  his  return  from  the 
synod,  having  never  been  print- 
ed, may  perhaps  interest  the 
reader : — 
"  Good  brother  Ward, 

"  Ever  since  my  return 
"  my  health  hath  come  on  so 
"  slowly  that  I  could  not  so 
"  much  as  Avrite  till  now.  You 
"  have  heard  of  our  psissage, 
"  partly  troublesome  and  part- 
"  ly  also  successful.  I  could 
"  not  till  within  these  two  days 
*'  present  myself  to  the  king, 
"  of  whom  I  was  received  ex- 
"  ceeding  graciously.  All  the 
"  last  Sunday's  dinner  he  spent 
"  in  discourse  with  me  about 
"  our  synodal  affairs.  Some 
"  busy  information  hath  moved 
"  him  against  the  president  as 
*'  indiscretely  hot  and  rigid  in 
"  the  dismission  of  the  remon- 
"  strants.  I  have  fully  satis- 
"  fied  him.  I  perceive  his  ma- 
"  jesty  much  distasted  with  the 
"  displacing  of  the  Apocrypha; 
"  it  did  a  little  pacify  him  to 
"  hear  that  we  had  publicly  re- 
"  quired  it  sliould  be  inserted 


"  in  the  Acts,  that  this  sentence 
"  was  without,  rather  against, 
"  the  allowance  of  the  foreign 
"  Qthat  is,  the  English]  divines. 
"  Which  you  must  take  care 
"  may  be  answerably  done, when 
"  the  acts  shall  be  intended  to 
"  light. 

"  The  particular  letters  which 
"  Mr.  Balcanquall  writes,  give 
"  satisfaction  to  his  majesty  ; 
"  when  either  your  common 
"  are  silent  or  come  late.  I 
"  was  yesterday  mth  my  lord's 
"  grace,  who  rejoices  in  the  re- 
"  port  of  the  approbation  of 
"  our  British  divines. 

"  Remember  my  service  to 
"  my  lord  of  Landaff ;  my 
"  thanks  to  sir  John  Berwick ; 
"  my  love  to  my  other  bre- 
"  thren  ;  and  let  us  strive  mu- 
"  tually  in  our  prayers  for  each 
"  other.  For  me,  I  shall  not 
"  fail  to  be  ever 

"  your  truly  loving  brother, 
"  and  double  colleague, 

"  Jos.  Hall. 

"  Waltham, 
"  Candlemas-day." 
Tanner  MS.  Ixxiv.  208.] 


H  h  3 


SECT.   V. 


TO 


MASTER    PETER    MAROLOYS% 


MASTER    THOMAS    ROWSE^. 

OF  LONDON,  MERCHANTS. 

The  Netherlands  are  the  scene  lohereon  the  heginning  of  this 
section  was  transacted ;  they  were  also  the  native  countries 
of  your  ancestors^  flying  hither  from  persecution.  Since,  as 
your  fathers  then  found  safety  amongst  the  English,  some  of 
the  English,  to  my  knowledge,  have  felt  bounty  from  their 
children.  God  increase  your  store,  and  make  you  like  the 
good  merchant  in  the  gospel*^,  who,  to  purchase  the  great 
pearl,  sold  all  that  he  had,  that  is,  undervalued  all  worldly 
wealth  coming  in  competition  with  God,  or  grace,  or  glory. 


A.  D.  1619. 

1 7  James. 


The  Belgic 
Confession 
presented  in 
the  Synod. 


EFORE  the  end  of  the  hundred  and 
forty-fifth  session,  April  the  20th,  in 
the  forenoon,  the  Belgic  Confession 
was  brought  into  the  Synod,  containing 
matter  both  of  doctrine  and  discipline, 


a  [I  have  not  been  able  to 
find  any  family  or  person  bear- 
ing this  name  or  coat  in  any 
alphabet  of  arms,  or  in  the  Visi- 
tations for  Middlesex.  If  the 
name  be  correctly  printed,  for 
it  occurs  again  in  the  Pisgah 
Sight,  I  infer  that  he  was  either 
not    naturalized  here    or   died 


without  issue.] 

^  [Arms.  Or,  on  a  bend 
cotised  gules,  five  bezants.  The 
same  arms  for  Rouse  or  Rowse 
occur  again  in  the  Pisgah  Sight, 
but  of  their  bearer  I  can  find  no 
account.] 

c  Matt.  xiii.  46. 


CENT.  XVII.        The  Church  History  of  Britain.  471 

and  the  public  consent  thereunto  was  required.    Here  ad.  1619. 

the  bishop  of  Llandaff*^,  in  the  name  of  all  the  rest, - 

ajiproved  all  the  points  of  doctrine  ;  but  as  for  matter 
of  discipline,  that  his  mother  church  and  his  own 
order  might  not  suifer  therein,  and  he  seem  by- 
silence  to  betray  the  cause  thereof,  a  protest  was 
entered  by  him,  as  mouth  for  the  rest,  to  preserve 
the  same,  as  by  the  perusing  the  following  passage 
will  appear: 

Interea  tamen  de  disciplina  paucis  monet.  Nun- 
(juam  in  ecclesia  obtinuisse  ministrorum  paritatem  non 
tempore  Christi  ipsiiis,  time  enim  duodecim  apostolos 
fuisse  discipulis  superiores ;  noji  apostolormn  cetafe, 
non  subsecutis  seculis.  Nee  valere  7'ationem  in  hac 
confessione  usurpatam,  Nempe  quia  omnes  sunt  seque 
ministri  Christi.  Nam  et  septuaginta  discipuli  erant 
ministri  Christi,  cBqne  ac  apostoli,  non  tamen  inde 
apostolis  ceqiiales :  et  omnes  omnino  homines  sunt 
ceque  homines.,  non  inde  tameii  homo  homini  non  debet 
subesse.  Hcbc,  non  ad  hariim  ecclesiarum  offensionem, 
sed  ad  nostrce  Anglicance  defensionem  se  7nonuisse 

professus  est. Britannorum  interpellationi  respon- 

sum  ne  qru  qiiidem. 

"  Notwithstanding,  in  the  mean  time,  he  briefly 
"  gave  his  advice  concerning  discipline.  That  the 
"  parity  of  ministers  never  prevailed  in  the  church, 
"  no,  not  in  the  time  of  Christ  Himself;  for  then 
"  the  twelve  apostles  were  superior  to  the  disciples ; 
"  not  in  the  time  of  the  apostles,  nor  in  the  ages 
"  after  them.  Nor  is  that  reason  of  any  force 
"  alleged  in  their  confession,  namely,  Because  all 
"  are   equally   the   ministers  of  Christ.     For,   even 

'1    [Dr.  Georiie  Carleton.j 

H  h  4 


^"72  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1619."  the    seventy    disciples   were    equally  ministers    of 

1 7  James.        /-n     .  .   ,  1  ^ 

"  Christ   with  the  apostles,  and   yet  it  follows  not 

"  thence,  they  were  equal  with  the  apostles :  and 
"  all  men  altogether  are  equally  men,  yet  thence 
"  it  cannot  be  inferred,  that  one  man  ought  not  to 
"  be  subject  to  another.  These  things  he  pro- 
"  fessed  himself  to  have  hinted,  not  to  offend  these 
"  churches  therewith,  but  to  defend  their  own  Church 

"  of  England .      To  this    interpellation   of  the 

"  British  divines  nothing  at  all  was  answered*^." 

Hereby  the  equal  reader  may  judge  how  candidly 
master  Montague,  in  his  appeal,  dealeth  with  our 
English  divines,  charging  *  them.  That  the  discipline 
of  the  Church  of  England  is  in  this  synod  held 
unlawful.  And  again s,  The  synod  of  Dort  in  some 
points  "  condemneth  upon  the  bye  even  the  disci- 
"  pline  of  the  Church  of  England."  But  let  such  as 
desire  further  satisfaction  herein  peruse  the  joint 
attestation  which  those  English  divines  set  forth, 
anno  1626,  to  justify  their  proceedings  herein^. 

The  States'      2.  Qu  the  29th  of  April  the  synod  ended.     The 

})ountv  to 

the  British  states,   to  oxpross  their  gratitude,  bestowed  on  the 
English    divines    at    their    departure    two    hundred 

•^    [See  the    "  Joint  Attesta-  '*  that  and  other  Dutch  synods 

tion,"  p.  1 6.]  "  is    held  unlawful.       (Harm. 

f  Appeal,  p.  70.  [Speaking  "  Synod.  Beig.  chap.  xiii.  can. 
of  the  synod  of  Dort,  whose  "  8.)"  Certainly,  as  far  as  the 
conclusions  many  were  anxious  Dutch  themselves  were  con- 
to  enforce  upon  our  own  church,  cerned,  and  that  is  all  that 
IMontague  states  that  he  is  ig-  Montague  intends,  it  was  in 
norant  of  any  act  by  which  it  many  points  held  unlawful.] 
is  obligatory  with  any  "  to  ^  Appeal,  p.  108. 
"  maintain  or  believe  all  or  any  *>  [The  title  of  this  pamphlet 
"  of  the  articles  concluded  on  follows:  "  A  Joint  Attestation, 
"  in  that  synod,  further  than  "  avowing  that  the  Discipline 
"  they  agree  with  the  author-  "  of  the  Church  of  England 
"  ?2(Y/r/oc/rirtt' of  the  Church  of  "was  not  impeached  by  the 
"  England,  whose  discipline  in  "  synodof  Dort,"  Lond.  1626.] 


CKNT.  xvi[.  of  Britain.  473 

pounds  to  bear  their  charges  in  their  return;  besides,  a.  d.  1619. 

a  golden  medal  of  good  value  was  given  to  every '- 

one  of  them  wherein  the  sitting  of  the  synod  was 
artificially  represented.  And  now  these  divines, 
who  for  many  months  had  in  a  manner  been  fast- 
ened to  their  chairs  and  desks,  thought  it  a  right 
due  to  themselves,  that  when  their  work  was  ended 
they  might  begin  their  recreation  ;  wherefore  they 
viewed  the  most  eminent  cities  in  the  Low  Countries, 
and  at  all  places  were  bountifully  received,  Leyden 
only  excepted.  Wonder  not,  that  they,  who  had 
most  learning,  should  shew  least  civility,  especially 
having  professors  of  humanity  amongst  them,  seeing 
generally  the  great  ones  of  that  university  at  this 
time  being  Remonstrants  were  disaffected  at  the 
decisions  of  the  synod.  This  gave  occasion  to  that 
passage  in  the  speech  of  sir  Dudley  Carleton,  the 
English  ambassador,  when  in  the  name  of  his  master 
he  tendered  the  States  public  thanks  for  their  great 
respects  to  the  English  divines,  using  words  to  this 
effect :  That  they  had  been  entertained  at  Amster- 
dam, welcomed  at  the  Hague,  cheerfully  received  at 
Rotterdam,  kindly  embraced  at  Utrecht,  &c.  and 
that  they  had  seen  Leyden. 

3.  But  how   his'h  an   esteem    the  States-general  Their  letter 

^  .  .  .,  to  king 

had    of  these    our    Englishmen's   service,   will   best  James, 
appear  by  their  letter  which  they  sent  to  king  James 
as  followeth : — 

Serenissime  RejL\ 

Qiiemadmodum  hoc  unice  propositum  nobis  Juit,  ut, 
gu(E  in  civitatHms  proimicii^que  nostris,  ante  amios 
aliquot  ed,'07i(S  erant  infclices  de  religione  contentiones, 
eruditorum  ac  piorum  hominum  judicio  legitime  tolli^ 


474  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1619  ac  componi  possent;  ut,  et  conscientiis  eorum,  quibus 

1 7  James.  _,  .  ,     .         .       .  , 

nos  prceesse  JJeus  immortaks  vomit,   ipsique  pariter 

reipuhUccE,  sua  in  religione  ac  pietate  simid,  ratio 
constaret  et  tranquillitas ;  ita  nos  henigne  is  respexit^ 
cui  hactenus  cui'tE  fuimus^  qui  conventui  nostro  natio- 
nali,  quern  ea'  omnibus  idem  sentientibus  ecclesiis  con- 
vocavimics,  ita  benedicvit,  ut,  re  tanta  ad  felicem  atque 
optatum  ejcitum  perducta,  domum  et  ad  suos  se  confe- 
rant.  Quibus,  benedictionem  Donmii,  studium  no- 
strum in  promovendo  pietatis  negotio,  consensum  plane 
cum  aliis  ecclesiis  unanimem  indicabunt.  Inter  quos, 
cum  prtscipui  et  consiUo  et  loco  fuerint  Magnoe  Bri- 
tannicB  theologi,  quos,  pro  singulari  et  divino  in  nos 
et  ecclesias  nostras  affectu^  ad  nos  m,ittere  dignata  est 
majestas  tua ;  curcB  nobis  fuit,  ut,  quantopere  liujus 
beneficii  magnitudinem  cestimemus,  ex  nobis  inteUigeret 
majestas  tua.  Est  vero  illud,  rex  serenissime,  eti- 
amsi  cum  reliquis,  quce  infinita  sunt^  conferatur,  tanto 
majus,  quanto  uberiores  sunt  fructus,  quos  ex  Dei 
causa  expectamus,  quantoque  id  majestatis  tu(t  nomini 
est  convenientius ;  qui,  cum  nulla  re  externa  atque 
humana,  quae  potissimum  aliis  principibus  concilia?it 
dignitatem,  quoquam  rege  sit  inferior^  fidei  defensio- 
7iem,  tanquam  Dei^  ecclesiceque  patronus  in  his  terris, 
sibi  nierito  assumit.  Neque  dubitare  possumus,  quin, 
et  majestatis  tuce  rcgna  tot,  et  tanta ;  reliquceque,  qucB 
in  hoc  negotio  nobis  operam  navarunt,  ecclesice,  mag- 
nam  utilitatem  ex  hoc  instituto  nostro  perceptura,  sint, 
quce  exemplo  nostro  discent,  quanto  periculo  conjunc- 
tum  sit,  quce  bene  in  religione  constituta  sunt  temere 
movere,  quum  sint  felices  atque  fortunatce,  quamdiu 
simili  remedio  opus  non  habelmnt:  cui  hactenus 
abunde,  majestatis  tuce  cura  atque  mgilantia,  prospec- 
tum  fuit.     In  theologis  porro  utriusque  regni  vestri 


CENT.  XVII.  (>f  Britain.  475 

omnibua  et  sinqidis,  quorum  aqmen  ducit  vere  revere7i-^-^'^^'9- 

'J  '  -J  ^  17  James. 

diasimus   dominm    Georgiics   Landavensis  episcopus, 

imago  atque  eaipressa  virtutis  effigies ;  earn  eruditio- 
nem,  pietatem,  pads  studium,  eumcjue  zelum  depre- 
hendimus,  ut,  cum  ipsius  beneficii  causa  majestati  tuce 
multum  debeaimis,  magna  pars  ipsius  beneficii  nobis 
videatur,  quod  ipsi  ad  nos  missi  sint. 

Deus  immortalis  majestati  tuce,  red/  serenissime,  ita 
benedicati  ut  illius  benedictionis  partem,  orbis  Christi- 
anus,  en'  diuturnitate  regni  tui,  et  ccclesicB  defensione, 
dill  percipiat. 

4.  With  these  testimonial  letters  over  they  came  The  British 
into    England,    and    first    presented    themselves    to  turn  into 
king    James,   who,   seeing    them  out   of   a  window  ^"^*"  ' 
when  first  entering  the  court,  "  Here  comes,"  said 
"  he,   my  good  mourners,"    alluding  to  their  black 
habit  and  late   death  of  queen  Anne.     Then,  after 
courteous  entertaining  of  them,  he  favourably  dis- 
missed   them,    and    afterward    on     three    of  them" 

•  Removing  Carleton  to  Chi-  to  the  arguments  and  eloquence 

Chester,  preferring  Davenant  to  of  Episcopius.      See  a  treatise 

Salisbury,   and   bestowing   the  by    Dr.  Goad,    then    rector   of 

mastership    of    the    Savoy    on  Hadleigh  in   Suffolk,  entitled, 

Balcanquall  .      [Probably  "A  Disputation,  partly  Theo- 

Goad  obtained  no  preferment  "  logical,  partly  JMetaphysical, 

as  having  changed  his  opinions.  "  concerning  the  Necessity  and 

Like  Hales  of  Eton,  who  was  "  Contingencv  of  Events  in  the 

also  ])resent  at  this  svnod,  and  "  World  in   respect  of   God's 

returned    hence    with    altered  "  Eternal  Decree ;   written  a- 

sentiments,    having     "  bidden  "  above  twenty   years  since  ;" 

"John    Calvin    good    night;"  and  published  in   1661.     Also 

(to    use    his    own    words,)    so  Hale's  Letters  from  the  Synod, 

Dr.  Goad    shortly  after    aban-  published    at    the    end    of  his 

doned  the  high  Calvinistic  party  works  ;    and  a  Brief  Account 

and  went  over  to  the  other  side,  of  the    Synod  of  Dort,  taken 

These  effects  may  be  attributed  out  of  the  letters  of  Mr.  Hales 

not  only  to  a  more  careful  dis-  and  iNIr.  Balcanquall,  &c.  :     in 

cussion  of  the  subject^  but  also  [bishop  Womack's]  Result  of 


476  The  Church  Hhtory  book  x. 

^  -  Jame?  bestowed  preferment.     So  returned  they  all  to  their 

several  professions  :    bishop  Carleton  to  the  careful 

governing  of  his  diocese ;  doctor  Davenant,  besides 
his  collegiate  cure,  to  his  constant  lectures  in  the 
schools  ;  Dr.  Ward  to  his  discreet  ordering  of  his 
own  college  ;  Dr.  Goad  to  his  diligent  discharging 
of  domestical  duties  in  the  family  of  his  lord  and 
patron  ;  and  Mr.  Balcanquall  to  his  fellowship  in 
Pembroke  hall. 
This  synod       5    Sincc,  it  hath   been  the  success  of  this  synod 

diversely  •' 

censured,  to  liave  the  decisious  thereof  to  be  approved,  ap- 
plauded, magnified  by  some ;  vilified,  contemned, 
condemned  by  others.  If  men  were  divided  in  their 
censures'^  about  Christ,  some  saying.  He  is  a  good 
man :  others,  nay ;  but  He  deceiveth  the  people :  no 
wonder  if  ever  since  all  conventions  of  Christians  be 
subject  to  variety  of  men's  verdicts  upon  them.  Of 
such  as  dislike  the  synod,  none  falls  heavier  upon 
it  than  a  London  ^  divine,  charging  the  synodians 
to  have  taken  a  previous  oath  to  condemn  the  oppo- 
site party  on  what  terms  soever.  But  take  him 
in  his  own  words  :  "  Far  be  it  from  me  to  subscribe 
"  the  report  or  information  of  those  who  charge  the 
"  respective  members  of  this  synod  with  suffering 
"  themselves  to  be  bound  with  an  oath,  at  or  be- 
"  fore  their  admission  thereunto,  to  vote  down  the 
"  Remonstrants  and  their  doctrines,  (howsoever,)  yet 
"  when  I  read  and  consider,  1.  how  learnedly, 
"  solidly,  and  substantially  they  quit  themselves,  and 

False    Principles,   p.  221,    od.  not  elsewhere  to  be  met  with.] 

1661.     In    the    same    writer's  ^  John  vii.  12. 

"  Calvinist's  Cabinet  Unlock-  '   ]Mr.  John  Goodwin  in  his 

"  ed,"  p.  92,  4,  will  be  found  Redemption  Kedeom'd,  cap.  15. 

some  anecdotes  respecting  the  parag.  24,  pair.  395- 

private  history   of  this   synod, 


CENT.  xvii.  of  Britain.  477 

"  arffue,  whilst  they  eo  aloiiff  with  the  Remonstrants,  a.d.  1619. 

^  .    (->  o  ,y  James. 

"  and  declare  wherein  they  agree  with  them,  in  the 

"  points  controverted  betwixt  them  ;  2dly,  how 
"  feebly  and  unlike  themselves  they  reason  when 
"  they  come  to  the  quick  of  the  difference ;  3dly, 
"  and  lastly,  how  near,  at  very  many  turns,  even  in 
"  those  things  wherein  they  pretend  to  differ,  they 
"  come  unto  them,  as  if  they  had  a  very  good  mind 
"  to  be  no  more  two,  but  one  with  them ;  when,  I 
"  say,  I  consider  all  these  things,  methinks  I  see 
"  the  interest  and  obligation  of  an  oath  working 
"  much  after  the  same  manner  as  sometimes  it  did 
"  in  Herod,  when  for  his  oath's  sake,  contrary  to 
"  his  mind  and  desire  otherwise,  he  caused  John 
"  the  Baptist's  head  to  be  given  to  Herodias  in  a 
"  platter™."  See  here  how  this  suggester,  though  at 
the  first  he  takes  water  and  washeth  his  hands  with  a 
"  far  be  it  from  me  to  subscribe  the  report,"  &c.  yet 
afterwards  he  crucifies  the  credit  of  a  whole  synod, 
and  makes  them  all  guilty  of  no  less  than  damnable 
perjury. 

6.  I  could  have  wished  that  he  had  mentioned  in  This  sug 
the  margm  the  authors  or  this  suggestion,  whereas  mise  most 

■  1  .      .  ,■■  f       Ml       •  •         1  improbable. 

now  the  omission  thereof  will  o-ive  occasion  to  some 
to  suspect  him  for  the  first  raiser  of  the  report ;  an 
heavy  accusation  charging  a  whole  synod  of  injust- 
ice. When  Festus  the  heathen  magistrate  was  so 
much  Christian  as  not  to  condemn  an  accused  man" 
before  he  hath  license  to  answer  for  himself,  could 
any  assembly  of  Christian  ministers  be  so  heathen 
as  to  bind  themselves  by  an  oath,  right  or  wrong, 
with   blind   obedience,  to    beat    down  the   opposite 

m  Matt.  xvi.  4.  n  Acts  xxv.  26. 


478  The  CImrch  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1619.  party    wherein    they    were    all    actually    foresworn, 
-1—1^1!^  having-  publicly  taken  so  solemn  an  oath  to  proceed 


impartially,  according-  to  God's  word  and  their  own 
conscience?  What  said  Laban  to  ''Jacob?  If  thou 
shalt  take  other  wives  besides  my  daughters,  no  man  is 
with  us  ;  see^  God  is  witness  between  thee  and  me :  so, 
if  these  divines  having  betrothed  their  faith  to  God 
and  the  world  in  so  open  and  jmblic  a  manner,  besides 
this  oath,  did  bind  themselves  with  any  other  taken 
before  or  after,  in  a  clandestine  way,  contrary  to 
their  public  promise,  would  not  God  the  sole  judge 
herein,  sensible  of  this  affront  offered  to  him  and  his 
truth,  heavily  punish  so  heinous  an  offence?  And 
can  any  charitable-minded  man  believe,  that  learned 
men  would,  that  godly  men  could  be  guilty  of  so 
deep  and  damnable  dissimulation  ? 
Bishop  Hall  7.  JNIusiug  with  myself  on  this  matter,  and  occa- 
the  author,  sioually  exchanging  letters  with  the  sons  of  bishop 
Hall,  it  came  into  my  mind  to  ask  them  Joseph's 
P  question  to  his  brethren.  Is  your  father  well,  the  old 
man  of  tvhom  ye  spake?  Is  he  yet  alive  f  and,  being 
informed  of  his  life  and  health,  I  addressed  myself 
in  a  letter  unto  him  for  satisfaction  in  this  parti- 
cular, who  was  pleased  to  honour  me  with  this 
return  herein  inserted  :  — 

"  Whereas  you  desire  from  me  a  just  relation  of 
"  the  carriage  of  the  business  at  the  synod  of  Dort, 
"  and  the  conditions  required  of  our  divines  there, 
"  at,  or  before  their  admission  to  that  grave  and 
"  learned  assembly ;  I,  whom  God  was  pleased  to 
"  em])loy  as  an  unworthy  agent  in  that  great  work, 

o  Gen.  xxxi.  50.  P  (len.  xliii.  27. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  479 

"  and  to  reserve  still  upon  earth,  flfter  all  my  reve-A.i).  1619. 

'  17  James. 

"  rend  and  worthy  associates,  do,  as  in  the  presence 
"  of  that  (iod,  to  whom  I  am  now  daily  expecting 
"  to  yield  up  my  account,  testify  to  you  and  (if  you 
"  will)  to  the  world,  that  T  cannot,  without  just 
"  indignation,  read  that  slanderous  imputation  which 
'•  Mr.  Goodwin,  in  his  Redemption  Redeemed,  re- 
"  ports  to  have  been  raised  and  cast  upon  those 
"  divines,  eminent  both  for  learning  and  piety  ;  That 
"  they  suffered  themselves  to  be  bound  with  an  oath 
"  at  or  before  their  admission  into  that  synod  to 
"  vote  down  the  Remonstrants  howsoever ;  so  as 
"  they  came  deeply  preengaged  to  the  decision  of 
"  those  unhappy  differences. 

"Truly,  sir,  as  I  hope  to  be  saved,  all  the  oath 
"  that  was  required  of  us  was  this :  After  that  the 
"  moderator,  assistants,  and  scribes  were  chosen,  and 
"  the  synod  formed,  and  the  several  members  allow- 
"  ed,  there  was  a  solemn  oath  required  to  be  taken 
"  by  every  one  of  that  assembly,  which  was  publicly 
"  done,  in  a  grave  manner,  by  every  person  in  their 
"  order  standing  up  and  laying  his  hand  upon  his 
"  heart,  calling  the  great  God  of  heaven  to  witness 
"  that  he  would  unpartially  proceed  in  the  judgment 
"  of  these  controversies  which  should  be  laid  before 
"  him,   only  out    of  and   according  to  the   written 
"  word  of  God,  and  no  otherwise,  so  determining  of 
"  them,   as   he   should   find  in  his  conscience  most 
"  agreeable  to  the  Holy  Scriptures ;   which  oath  was 
"  punctually  agreed  to  be  thus  taken  by  the  articles 
"  of  the  States,  concerning  the  indiction  and  order- 
"  ing  of  the  synod,  as  ap]iears  plainly  in  their  tenth 
"  article  ;    and  this  was  all  the  oath  that  was  either 
"  taken  or  required.      And   far  was  it  from  those 


480 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.D.  1619. 
I  7  James. 


holy  souls,  which  are  now  glorious  in  heaven,  or 
mine,  (mIio  still  for  some  short  time  survive  to 
give  this  just  witness  of  our  sincere  integrity,)  to 
entertain  the  least  thought  of  any  so  foul  corrup- 
tion, as  by  any  overruling  power  to  be  swayed  to  a 
prejudgment  in  the  points  controverted. 

"  It  grieves  my  soul,  therefore,  to  see  that  any 
learned  divine  should  raise  imaginary  conjectures 
to  himself,  of  an  interest  and  obligation  of  a  fan- 
cied oath,  (working  upon  them,  and  drawing  them 
contrary  to  the  dictation  of  their  own  conscience, 
as  it  did  Herod's  in  the  case  of  John  Baptist's 
beheading,)  merely  out  of  his  own  comparative 
construction  of  the  different  forms  of  expressing 
themselves  in  managing  those  controversies;  where- 
in if  at  any  time  they  seemed  to  speak  nearer  to 
the  tenet  of  the  Remonstrants,  it  must  be  imputed 
to  their  holy  ingenuity  and  gracious  disposition  to 
peace,  and  to  no  other  sinister  respect. 

"  Sir,  since  I  have  lived  to  see  so  foul  an  aspersion 
cast  upon  the  memory  of  those  worthy  and  eminent 
divines,  I  bless  God  that  I  yet  live  to  vindicate 
them  by  this  my  knowing,  clear,  and  assured  at- 
testation ;  which  I  shall  be  ready  to  second  with 
the  solemnest  oath  if  I  shall  be  thereto  required. 
"  Your  much  devoted  friend,  precessor, 
"  and  fellow  labourer, 

"  Jos.  Hall,  B.  N." 

Higham,  August  30,  165  i." 


Let  the  reader  consider  with  himself  how  the 
suggester  speaks  by  hearsay  of  things  done  at  dis- 
tance whereat  himself  not  present,  whose  disaffec- 
tion to  the  decisions  of  that  synod  inclines  him  to 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  481 

credit   ill    reports   against    it.     And   yet,   as  afraid, ^•^•'^'9- 

though  willing  to  speak  out,  in  his  methinks  I  see, 

vents  but  his  own  conjectural  surmises.  Let  him 
also  weigh  in  the  balance  of  his  judgment  how  this 
purgation  of  this  synod  is  positive  and  punctual, 
from  one  an  ear  and  eyewitness  thereof,  being  such 
an  one  as  doctor  Hall,  and  now  aged,  so  that  his 
testimonium  herein  may  seem  testamentum,  his  wit- 
ness his  will,  and  the  truth  therein  delivered  a  legacy 
by  him  bequeathed  to  posterity.  I  say,  the  premises 
seriously  considered,  let  the  reader  proceed  to  sen- 
tence as  God  and  his  conscience  shall  direct  him  ; 
and  either  condemn  a  private  person  of  slander  and 
falsity,  or  a  whole  synod  of  injustice  and  perjury. 

8.  ISIy  desire  to  make  this  history  of  the  synod  The  death 
entire,  hath  made  me  omit  the  death  of  James  Mon-Mo,Tta^ie. 
tague,  the  worthy  bishop  of  Winchester,  who  left 
this  life  the  last  year  ;  son  to  sir  Edward  Montague 
of  Boughton  in  Northamptonshire,  bred  in  Christ's, 
afterwards  master  of  Sidney  college  in  Cambridge, 
highly  favoured  by  king  James,  (whose  works  he  set 
forth,)  preferring  him  to  the  bishopric  first  of  Bath 
and  Wells,  then  to  Winchester:  in  Bath  he  lies 
buried  under  a  fair  tomb,  though  the  whole  church 
be  his  monument,  which  his  bounty  repaired,  or 
rather  raised  out  of  the  ruins  thereof.  One  }>assage 
at  his  burial  I  must  not  forget,  having  received 
it  from  the  mouth  of  his  younger  ])rother,  sir  Sidney 
Montague,  present  at  his  funeral  solemnities. 

9-  A  certain  officer  of  Bath  church,  being  a  very  a  strange 
corpulent   man,   was  upon   the  day  of  the  bishop's  his Vuriir 
burial  appointed  to  keep  the  doors :  he  entered  on 
this  his  employment  in   the  morning  whereon   the 
funeral   was   kept,  but   was    buried    himself  before 

FITLLEB,   vol..   V.  I    i 


482 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.  D.  i6i9.niffht,  and  before  the  bishop  s  body  was  put  into  the 

17  James.       ^      \    ,  ,     .         ,        .       ,  i        1     1         i 

ground,  because  being  bruised  to  death  by  the  press- 
ing in  of  people,  his  corpse  required  speedy  inter- 
ment; so  needful  it  is  for  those  to  watch  for  their 
own  change  who  wait  on  the  graves  of  others *!. 


q  [Dr.  Mountague  owed  his 
rapid  and  early  preferment  not 
only  to  the  nobleness  of  his 
family,  but  also  to  his  own 
strenuous  advocacy  of  the  low 
church  doctrines,  so  prevalent 
at  Cambridge  during  this  and 
the  subsequent  reign.  Whilst 
master  of  Sydney  college,  to 
which  he  was  appointed  in 
1598,  he  was  noted  for  the  en- 
couragement which  he  gave  to 
the  puritan  party,  and  for 
many  years  that  house  sent  out 
ministers  the  most  disaffected 
to  the  doctrine  and  discipline 
of  the  Church  of  England  ;  as 
may  be  seen  in  Clarke's  Lives 
of  the  Puritan  Divines.  He  was 
first  dean  of  Worcester,  then 
dean  of  the  chapel  royal ;  then, 
in  1608,  advanced  to  the  see 
of  Bath  and  Wells,  and  finally 
to  Winchester  in  1616.  The 
last  dignity  he  enjoyed  but 
for  a  short  time,  dying  about 
two  years  after,  July  20,  1618, 
of  a  dropsy,  at  the  somewhat 
early  age  of  forty-nine.  His 
influence  with  king  James  was 
very  great,  exceeding  that  of 
any  prelate  of  his  day  ;  he  di- 
rected or  controlled  most  church 
matters  whilst  he  lived,  and 
according  to  Heylyn  was  the 
chief  mover  in  the  design  of 
sending  delegates  to  the  syn- 
od of  Dort,  (Observations  on 
L'Estrange's  Charles  I.  p.  77.) 
using  all  his  influence  with 
the  king  to  uphold  and  coun- 


tenance their  proceedings  ;  and 
the  king  shewed  his  regard  for 
him  by  intrusting  to  him  the 
editorship  of  his  royal  produc- 
tions. Yet  notwithstanding  his 
faults,  (for  although  a  puri- 
tan he  was  a  potent  courtier,) 
he  was  a  learned,  liberal,  and 
m.unificent  prelate,  spending 
his  large  revenues  first  on  his 
college,  afterwards  on  the  ca- 
thedrals over  which  he  pre- 
sided. At  Wells  he  restored 
the  beautiful  chapel  of  bishop 
Joceline,  which  his  predecessors 
had  allowed  to  go  to  ruin  ;  fur- 
nishing it  at  his  own  expense 
with  organs,  and  ornaments, 
and  various  decorations ;  so  that, 
as  Godwin  says,  in  his  time  it 
surpassed  in  beauty  and  mag- 
nificence almost  all  the  chapels 
in  England.  To  complete  Bath 
abbey  church,  then  being  re- 
stored, he  subscribed  1 000/.  and 
presented  an  exquisite  pulpit  of 
carved  stone  :  to  his  college  he 
left  farms  to  the  annual  revenue 
of  twenty  marks;  ornamented 
thewallsof  the  chapel;  and  gave 
1 00/.  for  bringing  an  aqueduct 
to  Cambridge.  (See  Godwin, 
390,241.  Wood's  Ath.  ii.  853.) 
A  scholar  himself,  he  was  a 
generous  patron  of  scholars  and 
learned  men,  among  others,  of 
no  less  a  one  than  Casaubon. 
See  Casaubon's  Letters,  p.  365, 
373,  376,  where  the  address  of 
all  the  letters  should  be  James, 
not  Richard,  Mountague.] 


CKNT.  XVII, 


of  Britain . 


483 


10.  I  cannot  attain  the  exact  date  of  the  death  ^\,^J'^'2°- 
of  John    Overall,    carrying    superintendency   in    his,^j-^^|^_^^j^ 
surname,  the  bishop  of  Norwich  ;    first,    fellow    of  "t"  t'ishop 
Trinity  college,  then  master  of  Katharine  hall,  and 
king's  professor  of  divinity  in  Cambridge  :     one  of 

a  strong  brain  to  improve  his  great  reading,  and 
accounted  one  of  the  most  learned  controversial 
divines  of  those  days'". 

11.  A  ffrand  grievance  w^as  now  much  complained  {^  s^'^^'  f- 

o  r>  A  Untie  of  the 

of,  but  little  redressed ;  some  great  courtiers  there  king's  fa- 

vour. 

were  to  whom  the  king  had  passed  his  grants  to  com- 
pound with  papists  for  their  recusancy.  Some  of  these 


r  [Overall  was  born  at  Had- 
leigh  in  Suffolk,  and  received 
his  education  at  Cambridge. 
In  1596  he  was  chosen  to  suc- 
ceed Whitaker  as  regius  pro- 
fessor of  divinity,  and  in  1602, 
by  the  interest  of  sir  Fulke  Gre- 
ville,  was  appointed  to  the 
deanery  of  St.  Paul's.  In  1 614, 
consecrated  bishop  of  Coventry 
and  Lichfield;  and  in  1618 
translated  to  Norwich,  in  which 
placehedied, jMayi  2, 1619.  See 
Rennet's  IMSS.  dcccclxxxiii. 
p.  345.  Though  he  left  but 
little  worthy  of  his  great  name 
and  abilities,  being  actively 
engaged  in  the  arduous  duties 
of  his  various  stations,  yet  he 
gave  his  assistance  anonymously 
to  several  works  which  will  last 
as  long  as  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. To  the  Catechism  of  the 
Church  of  England  he  added 
that  portion  of  it  which  relates 
to  the  sacraments  ;  he  was  a 
chief  instrument  in  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Bible  ;  he  assisted 
Dr.  Mason  in  his  work  on  the 
English    Ordination  ;     he   was 


the  author  of  the  remarks  on 
the  Lambeth  Articles,  subjoin- 
ed to  Ellis'  edition  of  the 
XXXIX  Articles  of  the  Church 
of  England.  But  his  chief  in- 
fluence was  owing  not  only  to 
his  eminence  as  a  divine,  to  his 
spotless  character  and  surpass- 
ing abilities,  but  also  to  his 
temperate  and  consistent  op- 
position to  Whitaker,  and  the 
supralapsarian  party  at  Cam- 
bridge. For  he  was  undoubt- 
edly the  first  who  introduced 
a  better  system  of  divinity  into 
both  universities  ;  and  led  the 
opinions  of  Bilson,  Andrewes, 
Cosins,  Montague,  and  those 
great  divines  who  succeeded 
them.  Nor  was  this  influence 
confined  to  his  own  country  ; 
the  most  eminent  foreigners 
sought  his  opinions  and  were 
guided  by  his  judgment :  Gro- 
tius,  Casaubon,  Vossius,  and 
others,  being  his  most  constant 
correspondents.  See  their  Let- 
ters among  the  Epistolae  Re- 
monstrantium,  p.  353,  sq.  and 
Casaubon's  Letters,  p.  365.] 

I  i  2 


484 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


Archbishdp 
casually 
killed  a 
keeper. 


A.  D.  1620.  grantees  abused  the  king's  favour,  and  compounded 
J — ^'"^^'  with  such  persons  for  light  sums,  even  before  their 
legal  conviction,  whereby  the  offenders  in  that  kind 
became  the  more  backward  to  conform  themselves 
to  the  king's  laws,  his  majesty  not  aiming  at  their 
punishment  but  refonuation :  and  although  this  in- 
direct course  was  flatly  forbidden  l)y  his  royal  decla- 
ration, set  forth  I6IO,  yet  was  this  corruption  con- 
nived at,  and  is  conceived  a  main  cause  of  the  great 
and  speedy  increase  of  popery. 

12.  About  this  time  a  sad  mischance  befell  George 
Abbot,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  this  manner: 
he  was  invited  by  the  lord  Zouch  to  Bramshill  in 
Hampshire  to  hunt  and  kill  a  buck ;  the  keeper  ran 
amongst  the  herd  of  deer  to  bring  them  uj)  to  the 
fairer  mark,  whilst  the  archbishop,  sitting  on  his 
horse  back,  let  loose  a  barbed  arrow  from  a  cross- 
bow and  unhappily  hit  the  keeper :  he  was  shot 
through  the  enmontery  of  the  left  arm,  and  the 
arrow  dividing  those  grand  axillary  vessels,  he  died 
of  the  flux  of  blood  immediately  ^ ;  nature  having 
provided  that  all  the  large  vessels  are  defended  ex- 
ternally by  bones.  He  never  spake  after,  as  the  per- 
son, still  alive  at  Croydon,  who  brought  off  his  body 
informed  me,  and  died,  not  of  the  ill  dressing  of  the 
wound,  as  some  have  printed  it^  This  presently  put 
an  end  to  the  sport  of  that  day,  and  almost  to  the 
archbishop's  mirth  to  the  last  of  his  life. 

13.  The  fame  of  this  man's  death  flew  faster  than 
the  arrow  that  killed  him ;  the  archbishop's  mis- 
chance in  many  men  met  not  with  so  much  pity 
as  so  sad  a  casualty  did  deserve :   he  was  not  much 


The  mis- 
chance ri- 
gidly cen- 
sured. 


s   [See  Heylyn's  Life  of  Abp. 
Laud,  p.  86.] 


t  [As  Hacket,  among  others. 
Life  of  Williams,  p.  65.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  485 

beloved   by  the   inferior   clergy,   as   over  rigid  and  a.  d.  1620. 

austere;    indeed,  he  was  mounted  to  command  in 

the  church  before  he  ever  learnt  to  obey  therein, 
made  a  shepherd  of  shepherds  before  he  was  a  shep- 
herd of  sheep,  consecrated  bishop  before  ever  called 
to  a  pastoral  charge,  "  which  made  him,"  say  some, 
"  not  to  sympathise  with  the  necessities  and  infirmi- 
"  ties  of  poor  ministers."  As  for  the  superior  clergy, 
some  for  his  irregularity  and  removal  expected  pre- 
ferment, as  the  second  bowl  is  made  first,  and  the 
third  second,  when  that  nearest  the  mark  is  violently 
removed. 

14.  It  is  strange  to  see  how  suddenly  many  men  Many  ca- 
started  up  canonists  and  casuists  in  their  discourse  quJekiy 
who  formerly  had  small  skill  in  that  profession,     in^afie. 
their  ordinary  talk  they  cited  councils  and  synods ; 
some  had  up  St.  Jerome's  speech,  Venatorem  nunquam 
legimiis  sanctum ;  others  were  busy  with  the  decree 
of  the  council  of  Orleans,  (Gratian,  49  B.  distinct. 
34.)  Episcopum^,   'preshyterum^   aut  diaconwn  canes 
ad  venandum,  aut  accipitres  habere  non  licet.     Others 

'I  Note   that    these    Canons  "  law  of  England  to  forfeit  all 

were  never  admitted   laws   in  "  his   estate  unto  his  majesty, 

England ;    [but   Williams  was  "  and  by  the  canon  law,  which 

of  a  different  opinion.    See  his  "  is  in  force  with  us,  irregular 

Letter  to  the  duke  of  Buck-  "  ipso  facto,  and  so  suspended 

ingham,  dated  July  27,   1621,  "  from   all  ecclesiastical  func- 

printed  in  the  Cabala,  p.  260,  *'  tion  until  he  be  again  restor- 

the   original   of  which    is   now  "  ed  by  his  superior,  which,  I 

preserved  among  the  Harleian  "  take  it,  is  the  king's  majesty, 

MSS.  No.  7000,  30.    He  says,  "  in  this  rank  and  order  of  ec- 

"  an    unfortunate    occasion  of  "  clesiastical  jurisdiction. 

"  my  lord's  grace,  his  killing  of  "  To  add  affliction  to  the   af- 

"  a  man   casually,  as  it  is  here  "  flicted,  as  no  doubt  he  is  in 

"  constantly    reported,    is    the  "  mind,   is  against   the    king's 

"  cause  of  my  sending  my  yes-  "  nature  ;  to   have   virum  san- 

"  terday'sletter  unto  your  lord-  "  guinum,  or  a  man  of  blood, 

"  ship.      His  grace,  upon  this  "  primate  and  patriarch  of  all 

**  accident,   is  by   the  common  "  his  churches,  is  a  thing  that 

I  i  3 


486 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


'^^•g^-J^^^°  distinguished  of  a  threefold  hunting  :    1.  Oppressiva. 

"  -  2.  Arenaria.  S.  Saltuosa.  These  maintained  that  the 
two  former  were  utterly  unlawful,  but  the  last  might 
lawfully  be  used.  Others  distinguished  of  homicide  : 
1.  Ed'  necessitate.  2.  EcV  voluntate.  S.  E.v  casu  :  the 
case  in  hand.  In  a  word,  this  accident  divided  all 
great  companies  into  pro  and  con,  for  or  against  the 
archbishop's  irregularity  on  this  occasion,  yet  all  the 
force  of  their  skill  could  not  mount  the  guilt  of  this 
fact  higher  than  the  fountain  thereof.  AVhen  all  was 
done,  it  was  but  casual  homicide,  who  sought  not  for 
the  man,  but  God  was  pleased  to  bring  the  man  to 
his  liand^. 


"  sounds  very  harsh  in  the  old 
"  councils  and  canons  of  the 
■'  church.  The  papists  will  not 
"  spare  to  descant  upon  the 
"  one  and  the  other."  An 
apology  for  the  archbishop  was 
written  by  the  celebrated  sir 
Henry  Spelman.  See  Reliq. 
Spelm.  p.  105.  The  circum- 
stance was  much  lamented  by 
churchmen  of  all  sorts,  and  the 
general  opinion  was  that  the 
archbishop  should  at  least  have 
withdrawn  into  retirement.  As 
Hacket  observes  ;  "  many  of 
"  our  best  advised  churchmen 
"  took  it  sore  to  heart,  and 
"  lamented  for  it,  not  without 
"  bitter  tears,  for  the  scan- 
"  dal  which  was  fallen  upon 
"  our  church  in  his  person, 
"  who,  in  the  eye  of  general 
"  councils  and  canon  laws,  was 
"  wonderfully  tainted,  and  made 
"  uncapable  of  performing  all 
"  sacred  functions.  Therefore, 
' '  to  come  home  to  the  case,  they 
"  said,  God  forbid  those  hands 
"  should  consecrate  l)ishops  and 


"  ordain  priests,  or  adminisfer 
"  the  sacraments  of  Christ, 
"  ivhich  God  out  of  his  secret 
"Judgments  had  thus  permitted 
"  to  be  itnbrued  in  human  blood. 
"  And  some  of  the  ])relacy  pro- 
"  fessed,  if  theij  had  fallen  into 
"  the  tike  mischance  they  would 
"  never  have  despaired  of  God's 
"  mercy  for  the  other  life,  but 
'"from  this  world  they  would 
"  have  retired,  and  besought  his 
"  majesty  for  a  pension  to  sup- 
"  port  them  in  their  sequestered 
"  sadness,  where  they  might 
"  spend  their  days  in  J'asting 
"  and  prayer."  Life  of  Wil- 
liams, p.  65.  These  were  the 
sentiments,  not  of  Williams 
only,  but  of  many  of  the  clergy.] 
X  [In  order  to  determine  the 
question  respecting  the  arch- 
bishop's irregularity,  and  to 
settle  men's  minds,  the  king 
issued  a  commission,  Oct.  3, 
1621,  to  the  lord  keeper,  Vil- 
liers,  George  IMontaigne,  bishop 
of  London,  Andrewes,bishop  of 
Winchester,  Buck eridge,  bishop 


CKNT.  XVII. 


of  Jiritain. 


487 


15.    Sir  Henry  Savill,   the  archbishop's  old    bc-a.d  1620. 

*'  ^  ,18  James. 

quaintance,  as  his  contemporary  in  Oxford,  repaired  ^^-j-^^ 

on  his  behalf  to  the  oracle  of  the  law,  sir  Edward  shops  may 

Coke,  whom  he  found  a  bowling  for  his  recreation,  jaws  oZthe 

"  My  lord,"  said  he,   "  I  come  to  be  satisfied  of  you  '*"•*• 

"  in  a  point  of  law."     "  If  it  be  a  point  of  common 

*'  law,"  said  sir  Edward  Coke,  "  I  am  unworthy  to 

"  be  a  judge  if  I  cannot  presently  satisfy  you  ;  but 

"  if  it  be  a  point  of  statute   law,  I  am  unworthy 

"  to  be  a  judge  if  I  should  undertake  to  satisfy  you 

"  before  I  have  consulted  my  books."      "  It  is  this," 

said   sir  Henry,   "  Whether  may  a  bishop  hunt  in 

"  a  park  by  the  laws  of  the  realm  ?"     "  I  can  pre- 

"  sently  resolve  you,"  said  the  judge  ;   "  he  may  hunt 

"  by  the  laws  of  the  realm  by  this  very  token,  That 

"  there  is  an  old  law,"  (let  the  young  students  in 

that  profession  find  it  out,)   "  that  a  bishop,  when 


of  Rochester,  Laud,  of  St.  Da- 
vid's, Carew,  bishop  of  Exeter, 
sir  Henry  Hobard,  chief  justice 
of  the  common  pleas,  justice 
Doddridge,  sir  Henry  Martin, 
dean  of  the  arches,  and  Dr. 
Steward,  or  any  six  of  them, 
whereof  the  lord  keeper,  the 
bishops  of  London,  Winton, 
and  St.  David's  to  be  four,  to 
examine  the  case  and  the  scan- 
dal which  might  arise  upon  it ; 
secondly,  Whether  it  amounted 
to  an  irregularity  :  and  lastly. 
What  means  might  be  taken  to 
redress  the  same.  Their  an- 
swer was  returned  in  favour  of 
the  archbishop,  influenced  prin- 
cipally, as  it  is  said,  by  An- 
drewes.  Upon  which,  the  arch- 
bishop applying  to  the  king,  a 
commission  was  directed  to 
John  Williams,  the  bishop  of 
Lincoln,     George    Montaigne, 


bishop  of  London,  Lancelot 
Andrewes,  bishop  of  Winches- 
ter, Samuel  Harsnet,  bishop  of 
Norwich,  Thomas  Morton,  bi- 
shop of  Coventry  and  Lich- 
field, Arthur  Lake,  bishop  of 
Bath  and  Wells,  Nicholas  Fel- 
ton,  bishop  of  Ely,  George 
Carleton,  bishop  of  Chichester, 
to  grant  the  archbishop  a  dis- 
pensation in  form.  This  com- 
mission was  issued  upon  22nd 
of  November,  and  the  dispen- 
sation upon  the  1  2th  of  Decem- 
ber following,  1 62  I.  See  Wil- 
kins'  Cone.  iv.  462.  Collier's 
Eccl.  Hist.  ii.  720,  and  Ilack- 
et's  Life  of  Williams,  p.  67, 
who  gives  the  several  opinions 
of  each  of  the  commissioners. 
All  the  papers  relative  to  this 
trial  are  printed  in  Spelman's 
Reliquiae,  from  archbishop  San- 
croft's  Collections.] 

I  i  4 


488  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  if,2o. "  d>ing,  is  to  leave  his  pack  of  dogs"  (called  miitay 

1 8  James.  '  it 

canum)  "  to  the  king's  free  use  and  disposal. 

Bishop  An-      jg^  'Y\\Q  pai'tv  wliom    the    archbishop    suspected 

drewes,  the  \.         j  i  i 

archbi-       his  greatest  foe  proved  his  most  firm  and  effectual 

shop's  great  /..•,  t  i  ai  i-i  /»-i-»^' 

friend.  irieud,  eveii  Lancelot  Andrewes^,  bishop  or  Win- 
chester :  for  "when  several  bishops  inveighed  against 
the  irregularity  of  the  archbishop,  laying  as  much  (if 
not  more)  guilt  on  the  act  than  it  would  bear,  he 
mildly  checked  them  :  "  Brethren,"  said  he,  "  be  not 
"  too  busy  to  condemn  any  for  uncanonicals,  accord- 
"  ing  to  the  strictness  thereof,  lest  we  render  our- 
"  selves  in  the  same  condition  :  besides,  we  all  know, 
"  Canones^  qui  dicunt  lapsos  post  actam  pwnitentiam^ 
"  ad  clericatum  non  esse  restituendos,  de  rigore  lo- 
"  quimtur  disciplincE,  non  injiciimt  desperationem  in- 
"  didgentice" 

Hisrestitii-      ^^j'    King  James  being  himself  delighted  in  hunt- 

tion  and        _  °  _        °        _  ^ 

mortifica-  ing,  was  sorry  any  ill  accident  should  betide  the 
users  thereof;  but  when  he  was  assured  how  deeply 
the  archbishop  laid  this  casualty  to  his  heart,  he 
much  pitied  him,  and  said  to  a  lord  discoursing 
thereof,  "  It  might  have  been  my  chance  or  thine." 
So  that  not  long  after,  the  archbishop  (who  had 
lately  retired  himself  to  Guildford  almshouse  of  his 
own  founding)  returned  to  Lambeth,  and  to  the  per- 
formance of  his  office ;  though  some  squeamish  and 
nice-conscienced  elects  scrupled  to  be  consecrated 
by    him  ^.     He    gave    during    his   own    life    twenty 

y  From  the  French  macte  de  St.  David's.   Davenant  made  no 

cJiiens.  opposition   to   the   archbishop, 

2   [See  Howell's  Letters,   p.  because  he  had  been  presented 

123.]  bv  Abbot  to  the  rich  parsonage 

a  [There  were  four  bishops  of  Cottenhani,  near  Cambridge, 
elect  at  this  time  ;  Uavenant  "  The  other  three,  without  Da- 
of  Salisbury,  Carew  of  Exeter,  "  venant,"  says  Hacket,  "  stir- 
Williams  of  Lincoln,  Laud  of  "  red  in  it  the  most  they  could, 


tion 


CKNT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  489 

pounds  a  year  to  the  man's  widow,  which  was  not  a.  1x1620. 

y  -I  .  TT  '^  -lames. 

long  a   widow,   as   quickly  remarried.     He  kept   a 

monthly  fast  on  a  Tuesday,  as  the  day  whereon  this 
casualty  befell ;  in  a  word,  this  keeper's  death  was 
the  archbishop's  mortification. 

18.  At  this  time  the  king's  exchequer  grew  very  a  project 
low,  though  Lionel  Cranfield,  lord  treasurer  and  earl  ek-Tgy  to 
of  Middlesex,  neglected  no  means  for  the  improvingS*''™""^^- 
thereof^.    In  order  whereunto,  (reader,  let  this  story 
pass  into  thy  belief  on  my  credit,  knowing  myself 
sufficiently  assured  thereof,)  a  projector  (such  neces- 
sary evils   then   much  countenanced)    informed   his 
majesty  of  a  way  whereby  speedily  to  advance  much 
treasure.     And   how   forsooth    was    it?    Even  that 
a  new  valuation  should  be  made  of  all  spiritual  pre- 
ferments, (which  now  in  the  king's  books  passed  at 
underrates,)   to  bring  them  up  to   or  near  the  full 
value  thereof:   this  would  promote  both  the  casual 

"  to  decline  this  metropolitan's  might  not  be  compelled  to  vio- 
"  consecration  ;  not  out  of  en-  late  their  consciences  and  re- 
"  mity  or  superstition,  but  to  ceive  consecration  from  the 
"  be  wary,  that  they  might  not  archbishop.  In  conformity  with 
"  be  attainted  with  the  conta-  this  request,  the  bishop  of  Lin- 
"  gion  of  his  scandal  and  un-  colnwasconsecratedon  the  nth 
"  canonical  condition."  Ibid.  p.  of  November,  and  the  others  on 
66.  Certainly,  if,  as  was  then  the  i8th,  by  the  bishops  of 
generally  thought,  the  arch-  London,  Worcester,  Ely,  Ox- 
bishop's  function  was  unsettled  ford,  and  Llandaff.  Hacket,  ib. 
by  this  unfortunate  act,  it  was  p.  68.] 

not  unreasonable  that  men,  de-  ^   [But  not  unworthy  means; 

sirous  of  giving  no  advantage  since    it   is   evident,   from   his 

to    the    enemies    of   the    Pro-  MS.  letters  still  preserved  in 

testant    religion,    should    have  the  Bodleian  and  British  Mu- 

been    scrupulous    of   receiving  seum,  that  Cranfield  was  one  of 

consecration    from     the    arch-  the  most  able  ministers  the  king 

bishop.  ever  had,   and   owed   his  ruin 

These   elects   besought    the  principally  to  the  odium  which 

king,  that  since  they  had  de-  he  brought  upon  himself  in  re- 

clared  their  opinion    that    the  forming    the    wardrobe,    navy, 

archbishop  was  irregular,  they  and  exchequer.] 


490  The  Church  History  hook  x. 

A. D.  1620.  fines  (as  I  may  term   them)   of  first-fruits  and  the 
-" !^ll.  annual  rent   of  tenths,   to  the   great  advantage    of 

the   crown.      The  king   sent   to   the   lord   treasurer 

demanding  his  judgment  thereof. 
Declined  by      jg    -phe  treasurer  returned  his  majesty  an  answer 

the  lord  ''        •' 

treasurer,  to  this  effcct,  SO  near  as  I  can  remember  from  the 
mouth  of  a  noble  person  then  present :  "  Sir,  you 
"  have  ever  been  beheld  as  a  great  lover  and  ad- 
"  vancer  of  learned  men,  and  you  know  clergymen's 
"  education  is  chargeable  to  them,  or  their  friends  ; 
"  long  it  is  before  they  get  any  preferment,  which 
"  at  last  generally  is  but  small  in  proportion  to  their 
"  pains  and  expenses.  Let  it  not  be  said  that  you 
"  gained  by  grinding  them ;  other  ways  less  ob- 
"  noxious  to  just  censure  will  be  found  out  to  fur- 
"  nish  your  occasions."  The  king  commended  Cran- 
field,  (as  doing  it  only  for  trial,)  adding  moreover, 
"  I  should  have  accounted  thee  a  very  knave  if 
"  encouraging  me  herein  ;"  and  so  the  project  was 
blasted  for  the  present,  as  it  was  w^hen  it  budded 
again,  propounded  by  some  unworthy  instrument,  in 
the  reign  of  king  Charles, 
whoistm-  20.  I  know  some  will  suspect  the  treasurer  more 
y  excuse  .  jjj^gj^,  ^.^  g^g^j.^-  ^j^^j^  crush  SO  gainful  a  design,  as  who 

by  all  w^ays  and  means  sought  to  increase  the  royal 
revenue.  I  know  also  that  some  accuse  him  as  if 
making  his  master's  wings  to  moult,  thereby  the 
better  to  feather  his  own  nest.  Indeed,  he  raised  a 
fair  estate,  and  surely  he  will  never  be  a  good  stew- 
ard for  his  master  who  is  a  bad  one  for  himself. 
Yet  on  due  and  true  inquiry  it  will  appear,  that 
though  an  high  power  did  afterwards  prosecute  him, 
yet  his  innocence  in  the  main  preserved  him  to 
transmit   a  good    estate    to  his  posterity ;    so  that 


CENT.  XV 11. 


of  Britain. 


491 


much  of  truth  must  be  allowed  in  his  motto,  Per- a.  D- 1620. 

10  James. 

didit  fides  S  he  was  lost  at  court  for  his  fidelity  to 

king  James,  in  sparing  his  treasure,  and  not  answer- 
ing the  expensiveness  of  a  great  favourite  ^. 

"  was  always  inclined  to  him. 
"  Of  all  this  the  duke  could 
"  not  be  without  ample  infor- 
"  mation,  as  well  from  his  own 
"  creatures^     who    were     near 


c  Frequent  in  his  house  at 
Copthall. 

d  [The  disgrace  of  treasurer 
Cranfield,  which  happened  in 
the  early  part  of  1624,  is  one 
of  the  many  inexplicable  and 
mysterious  passages  of  this 
king's  reign.  Johnston,  Wel- 
don,  and  Wilson,  and  the  rest 
of  our  historians  who  have 
blindly  followed  those  bell- 
wethers of  calumny,  scruple 
not  to  blacken  the  treasurer 
with  the  most  virulent  defama- 
tion, and  represent  his  guilt  as 
certain  and  notorious.  Upon 
what  evidence  it  is  hard  to  say, 
and  indeed  the  independent 
testimony  of  these  writers,  par- 
ticularly of  the  two  latter,  is  so 
utterly  worthless  as  to  be  wholly 
unworthy  of  credit.  Fuller 
seems  justly  to  have  suspected 
the  truth,  that  the  treasurer's 
greatest  fault  was  his  opposition 
to  some  great  ones;  and  in  this 
he  is  supported  by  the  testimony 
of  lord  Clarendon,  who  attri- 
butes Crantield's  ruin  to  the 
jealousy  and  enmity  of  the  duke 
of  Buckiny-ham.  Durin<r  the 
duke's  absence  in  Spain,  the 
treasurer  (as  he  observes,  Reb. 
I.  39.)  "  was  not  only  negligent 
"  in  the  issuing  out  such  sums 
"  of  money  as  were  necessary 
"  for  the  defraying  those  un- 
"  limited  expenses,  and  to  cor- 
"  respond  with  him  with  that 
"  deference  he  had  used  to  do, 
"  but  had  the  courage  to  dis- 
**  pute  his  commands,  and  to 
"  appeal  to  the  king,  whose  ear 


"  enough  to  observe,  as  from 
"  others  ;  who,  caring  for  nei- 
"  ther  of  them,  were  more  scan- 
"  dalized  at  so  precipitate  a 
"  promotion  of  a  person  of  such 
"  an  education  [he  having  been 
"  bred  a  merchant]  and  whom 
"  they  had  long  known  so  much 
"  their  inferior,  though  it  could 
"  not  be  denied  that  he  filled 
"  the  places  he  held  with  great 
"  ability."  The  duke  accord- 
in^lv,  having  resolved  to  crush 
him,  procured  some  leading 
members  of  the  house  to  im- 
peach the  earl,  and  notwith- 
standing he  made  so  good  a 
defence,  "  that,"  as  the  same 
noble  historian  observes,  "  he 
"  was  absolved  from  any  noto- 
'*  rious  crime  by  the  impartial 
"  opinion  of  many  of  those 
"  who  heard  all  the  evidence," 
yet  he  was  condemned  to  a  long 
and  strict  imprisonment  during 
the  king's  pleasure,  incapaci- 
tated for  sitting  in  parliament 
for  life,  a  clause  as  severe  as  it 
was  illegal ;  and  sentenced  to 
pay  a  fine  of  50,000/,  These 
observations  are  supported  by 
Hacket  in  his  life  of  Williams, 
p.  189,  who  observes,  in  the 
conclusion  of  his  narrative,  "  so 
"  the  treasurer  suffered  dis- 
"  honour,  or  rather  the  cala- 
"  mity  of  a  censure  ;  himself 
"  was  so  comforted  to  his  dy- 


492  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1620.      21.  Aparliamentwas  called,  wherein  Francis  Bacon, 

^  lord  chancellor,  was  outed  his  office  for  bribery ;  the 

Bacon  out-  fi'equent  receiving-  thereof  by  him  or  his  was  plainly 
bery.'  "  proved  :  yet  for  all  his  taking,  just  and  unjust,  he  was 
exceedingly  poor,  and  much  indebted.  Wherefore, 
when  motion  was  made  in  the  house  of  commons  of 
Sir  Fr.  s.  fining  him  some  thousand  of  pounds,  a  noble  mem- 
ber standing  up  desired  that  for  two  reasons  his  fine 
might  be  mitigated  into  forty  shillings:  first,  because 
that  would  be  paid,  whereas  a  greater  sum  would 
only  make  a  noise,  and  never  be  paid ;  secondly,  the 
shame  would  be  the  greater,  when  such  his  prodi- 
gality, that  he,  who  had  been  so  large  a  taker  in  his 
office,  was  reduced  to  such  penury  that  forty  shillings 
should  be  conceived  a  sufficient  fine  for  his  estate. 
But  it  was  fine  enough  for  him  to  lose  his  office,  re- 
mitted to  a  mean  and  private  condition. 
An  essay  at      gg.  Noue  cau  character  him  to  the  life  save  him- 

his  charac- 
ter, self;  he  was  in  parts  more  than  a  man,  who  in  any 

liberal   profession    might   be   whatsoever   he   would 

himself:    a  great  honourer  of  ancient  authors,  yet 

a  great  deviser  and  practiser  of  new  ways  in  learning. 

Privy  counsellor   as    to    king   James   so   to   nature 

itself,  diving  into  many  of  her  abstruse  mysteries : 

new  conclusions  he  would  dig  out  w'ith  mattocks  of 

gold  and  silver,  not  caring  what  his  experience  cost 

him,  expending  on  the  trials  of  nature  all  and  more 

than  he  got  by  the  trials  at  the  bar ;    posterity  being 

the  better  for  his,  though  he  the  worse  for  his  own 

"  ing  hour;     as   the  engraved  "  And  I  spake  with  few,  when 

"  posy   spake   his  thoughts  in  "  it  was  recent,  that  were  con- 

"  his    great   chamber   at   Copt  "  tented   with    it,    except    the 

"  Hall  in  Essex.  "  members  of  the  house,  who 

"  Qu«  venit  immerito  pa-na  doleuda  "  would  not   dislike  their  own 

veiiit.  "  action."] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  49-5 

dear  experiments.     He  and  his  servants  had  all  inA.  d.  1620. 
common,  the  men  never  wantino-  what  their  master '- 


had,  and  thus  what  came  flowing  in  unto  him  was 
sent  flying  away  from  him,  who  in  giving  of  rewards 
knew-  no  bounds  but  the  bottom  of  his  own  purse. 
Wherefore  when  king  James  heard  that  he  had  given 
ten  pounds  to  an  under  keeper  by  whom  he  had  sent 
him  a  buck,  the  king  said  merrily,  "  I  and  he  shall 
"  both  die  beggars,"  which  was  condemnable  prodi- 
gality in  a  subject.  He  lived  many  years  after,  and 
in  his  books  will  ever  survive;  in  the  reading  whereof 
modest  men  commend  him  in  what  they  do,  con- 
demn themselves  in  what  they  do  not  understand, 
as  believing  the  fault  in  their  own  eyes  and  not 
in  the  object. 

23.  All   stood  expecting  who  should  be   Bacon's  Bishop vvii- 

,1  1  1  ,1  liams  made 

successor  m  the  chancery:  sure  he  must  be  some  lord  keeper. 
man  of  great  and  hig  habilities,  (otherwise  it  would 
seem  a  valley  next  a  mountain,)  to  maintain  a  con- 
venient and  comely  level  in  that  eminent  place  of 
judicature.  Now  whilst  in  common  discourse  some 
made  this  judge,  others  that  sergeant,  lord  chancellor, 
king  James  made  Dr.  Williams,  lately  (and  still) 
dean  of  Westminster^  soon  after  bishop  of  Lincoln. 
Though  the  king  was  the  principal,  the  duke  of 
Buckingham  was  more  than  the  instrumental  ad- 
vancer of  him  to  the  title  of  lord  keeper,  in  eff*ect,  the 
same  in  place  and  power  with  the  lord  chancellor. 

24.  The  king's  choice  produced  not  so  much  dis- Somecause- 
like  as  general  wonder;    yet  some  cavilled  at  doctor  fended" 
Williams  his  age^  as  if  it  were  preposterous  for  one 

e    [Hacket's    Lite    of    Wil-      was  thirty-nine   when    he  had 

liams,  p.  52.]  this    honour     conferred    upon 

f  [Most    absurd  1  J' ;     for    he     liini.      See     Hacket's    Life    of 


494 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A  D.  1620.  to  be  able  for  that  office  before  ancient,  and  as  if  one 
old  enough  for  a  bishop  were  too  young  for  a  chan- 
cellor. Others  questioned  his  abilities  for  the  placed. 
Could  any  expect  to  reap  law  where  it  was  never 
sown  ?  who  can  apply  the  remedy  whilst  he  is  igno- 
rant in  the  malady  ?  Being  never  bred  to  know  the 
true  grounds  and  reasons  of  the  common  law,  how 
could  he  mitigate  the  rigour  thereof  in  difficult 
cases  ?  He  would  be  prone  to  mistake  the  severity 
of  the  common  law  for  cruelty,  and  then  unequal 
equity  and  unconscionable  conscience  must  be  ex- 
pected from  him.  Besides,  the  place  was  proper  not 
for  the  plain  but  guarded  gown,  and  the  common 
lawyers  prescribed  for  six^  descents  (a  strong  title 


Williams,  p.  57.  It  was  vacant 
in  May.  by  the  disgrace  of  Ba- 
con, but  the  great  seal  was  not 
actually  delivered  to  Williams 
till  July  /o.  See  the  speech 
which  he  made  on  that  occa- 
sion.  Hacket,  ibid.  p.  61.] 

"  [Clarendon  is  also  some- 
what severe  upon  Williams, 
observing  that  "  though  a  man 
"  of  great  wit  and  good  scho- 
"  lastic  learning,  he  was  gene- 
"  rally  thought  so  very  unequal 
"  to  the  place,  that  his  remove 
"  was  the  only  recompense  and 
"  satisfaction  that  could  be 
"  made  for  his  promotion.  And 
"  yet  it  was  enough  known  that 
"  the  disgrace  proceeded  only 
"  from  the  private  displeasure 
"  of  the  duke  of  Buckingham." 
Rebel,  i.  p.  81.  But  according 
to  Hacket,  who  makes  us  think 
well  of  Williams,  often  in  spite 
of  our  convictions  to  the  con- 
trary, the  dean  had  studied  ti;e 
law  under  the  direction  of  chan- 


cellor Egerton.  "  And  even 
hard  upon  the  day  of  his 
death,  which  was  ^lart.  15, 
the  chancellor  called  him  to 
him  and  told  him,  If  he  want- 
ed nionexj,  he  would  leave  him 
such  a  legacy  m  his  will,  as 
should  furnish  him  to  hegin 
the  world  like  a  gentleman. 
Sir,  says  the  chaplain,  /  kiss 
your  hands  ;  you  have  Jilled 
my  cup  full ;  I  a7n  far  from 
want,  unless  if  be  of  your  lord- 
ship's directions  how  to  live 
in  the  world,  if  I  survive  you. 
Well,  says  the  chancellor,  / 
know  you  are  an  expert  work- 
man,  take  these  tools  to  work 
with,  they  are  the  best  I  have; 
and  he  gave  him  some  books 
and  papers  written  all  with 
his  own  hand."  Life  of  Wil- 
liams, p.  30.  See  also  Racket's 
defence  of  the  Clergy  for  taking 
secular  employments,  lb. p. 55.] 
^  Yet  sir  Ch.  Hatton  was 
never  bred  a  lawyer. 


CKNT.  xvii.  of  Britain.  495 

indeed)  wherein   only  men  of  their  robe  were   ad- a.  d.  1620. 

-     ,  18  James. 

vanced  thereunto.  

25.  Yet  some  of  these  altered  their  judgments  His  emi- 

''       °  neiit  abili- 

when  considering  his  education,  who  for  many  years  ties. 
had  been  house  chaplain  (yea,  and  more  than  chap- 
lain, intimate  friend  servant)  to  the  old  lord  Eger- 
ton,  who  understood  the  chancellor  craft  as  well 
as  any  who  ever  sat  in  that  place,  and  who  whilst 
living  imparted  many  mysteries  of  that  court,  when 
dying  bequeathed  many  choice  books  and  directions 
unto  him.  His  parts  were  eminent,  who  could  make 
any  thing  he  read  or  heard  his  own,  and  could  im- 
prove any  thing  which  was  his  own  to  the  utmost. 
Besides,  for  a  clergyman  to  be  lord  chancellor  was 
no  usurpation,  but  a  recovery,  seeing  ecclesiastics 
anciently  were  preferred  to  that  place ;  and  sir 
Nicholas  Bacon  (father  to  the  last  chancellor)  re- 
ceived the  broad  seal  from  a  churchman,  viz.  Nicho- 
las Heath,  archbishop  of  York. 

26.  Considering  all  disadvantages,  he  managed  the  Well  ma- 
office  to  admiration:    I  know  it   is  reported  by  his  place, 
adversaries  to  his  discredit,  that  never  lord  keeper 
made  so  many  orders  which  afterwards  were  reversed, 
which  whether  true  or  no,  I  know  not'.      Sure  it 

is,  that  unpartial  men  of  the  best  and  clearest  judg- 
ments highly  commended  him,  and  Judge  Yelverton 

»   [Yet    Hacket    says,    that  "  whereof  late  writers  are  very 

"  neither     king    James,     king  "  rank  in  all  kinds,  which  one 

"  Charles,  nor  any  parliament,  "  hath     published,     that    this 

"which   gave   due  hearing   to  "  man's  successor,  the  lord  Co- 

"  thefrowardnessof  some  com-  "  ventry,  reversed  many  of  his 

"  plaints,  did  ever  appoint  that  "  decrees     and    corrected     his 

"  any  of  his  orders  should  be  "  errors."     He  then  mentions 

"reversed,"   Ibid.  p.  57.     And  an    anecdote    of   chief  justice 

again,    speaking    of    Williams'  Ilobart  in  confirmation  of  this, 

successor,  the  lord  keeper  Co-  Life  of  Williams,  p.  200. 1 
ventry,  he  says,  "  it  is  a  slander 


The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1620.  himself,  hearing  him  in  a  ease  of  concernment,  in- 

18  James.  ,  /.  ,         r^-,  .     . 

genuously  professed,  "  This  is  a  most  admirable  man." 

Here  he  sat  in  the  office  so  long,  till  disdaining  to 
be  a  dependent  (as  a  pent-house)  on  the  duke's 
favour,  and  desiring  to  stand  an  absolute  structure 
on  his  own  foundation  at  court,  he  fell,  as,  God 
willing,  shall  in  due  time  be  related. 

c'^m^ci'.'"""      27-    Should  we   now  look   into  the  convocation, 

tion.  -vve  should  find    them  on   Wednesdays  and   Fridays 

devoutly  at  the  Litany,  otherwise  having  little  em- 
ployment, as  empowered  by  no  commission  to  alter 
any  thing;  so  that  sitting  amongst  the  tombs  in 
Westminster  church,  they  were  (as  once  one  of  their 
prolocutors  said)  viva  cadavera  inter  mortuos,  as 
having  no  motion  or  activity  allowed  unto  them. 

Young  Me-      28.  About  this  time  Meric  Casaubon  set  forth  a 

ric  f'asau-    ■,        -,     . 

bon  vindi-  book  m  defcuce  of  his  deceased  father,  against  whom 
fether  from  ni any  had  spit  their  venom  "^^  First,  Heribert  Ros- 
raiiers.  woydc,  a  Jesuit ;  and  after  him  Andrew  Scioppius,  a 
renowned  railer  ;  one  that  is  always  incensed  against 
learning  and  honesty,  wheresoever  he  finds  them 
severally,  but  implacable  against  such  a  man  in 
whom  both  meet  together.  It  seems  it  is  his  policy 
thus  to  seek  to  perpetuate  his  memory  by  railing 
against  eminent  persons,  hoping  that  he  shall  jointly 
survive  with  their  worth ;  whereas  their  light  shall 
burn  bright  when  his  snufF  shall  be  trodden  under 
foot.  Then  Julius^  Caesar  Bullinger,  and  Andrew 
Eudaemon  Joannes,   a  vizard   name "',  composed  to 


^  [^Entitled  "  Pietas  contra         1   [Alegambe,  ibid.  p.  530.] 
"  maledicos    patrum    nominis,         m  [Alegambe,  ib.  p.  49.   This 

"  &c."   Lond.  1 62 1.  I  20.     Re-  is   his  real    name.      He   was  a 

printed   among   Is.  Casaubon's  native  of  Crete.] 
Letters,  Roterod.  1709.  fol.] 


CENT.  XVII. 


V.- 


ofBHtain.  497 


friffht  fools  and  make  wise  men  laugh  at  it".     Yea,  a.  d.  1620. 

o  '-'18  James. 

though  he  had  formerly  met  with  a  quaternion  of 

learned  confuters,  bishop  Abbot,  doctor  Prideaux, 
doctor  Collins,  master  Burrhill ;  young  Casaubon, 
then  student  in  Christchurch,  thought  it  his  duty 
farther  to  assert  his  father's  memory,  and  to  give 
a  brief  account  of  his  life  and  conversation. 

29.  This  is  the  benefit  of  learned  men's  marriage.  The  good 

effect  of  his 

God  oftentimes  so  blessmg  it,  that  they  need  not  go  endeavours, 
out  of  themselves  for  a  champion  to  defend  them, 
but  have  one  springing  from  their  own  bowels.  And 
his  son,  though  by  reason  of  his  age  low  in  himself, 
is  tall  when  standing  on  the  advantage-ground  of  hi8 
father's  grave,  whose  memory  he  is  to  maintain  ;  yea, 
God  seems  so  well  pleased  with  his  piety,  that  his 
endeavours  took  such  effect  that  no  railing  libels  to 
that  purpose  came  forth  afterwards,  which  formerly 
had  been  so  frequent ;  whether  because  these  curs, 
weary  of  their  own  barking,  did  even  sneak  away  in  si- 
lence, or  because  they  had  no  more  mind  to  challenge, 
seeing  a  defendant  provided  to  undertake  them. 

30.  Upon  the  removal  of  Richard  Milborne  toWiiham 
Carlisle^,    William  Laud,    president   of   St.  John's  st.  David's. 
college  in  Oxford,  was  made  bishop  of  St.  David's  p, 

of  whom,  because  every  one  speaks  so  much,  I  wilH 

"   [For  the   diflFerent   tracts  "  [it]  ;    and  rather  desires  to 

referred  to,  see  Alegambe,  p.  "  hold  some  smaller  bishopric 

334.]  "  together  with  his   deanery." 

o  [May    15,    1 62 1.      "The  Davenant  to  Ward.     Tanner's 

"  bishop  of  Carlisle  died  upon  MSS.  Ixxiii.  p.  25.] 

"  Tuesday  last;  who  is  likely  P   [loth  July.] 

"  to  succeed  him,  as  yet,  I  hear  q  When  I  wrote  this,  I  in- 

"  not.      The  bishopric  of  Lon-  tended  to  close  my  history  at 

"  don  stands  still  as  it  did  :  the  king  James  his  death,  since  by 

"  speech    now    runs    that    the  importunity  urged  to  continue 

"  dean   of  Westminster  [Wil-  it  farther. 
"  liams]  is  unwilling  to  accept 

FULLER,  VOL.   V.  K  k 


498  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.i).  1620. yav  the  less"";    the  rather,  because  at  this  time,  and 

18  James. 

during  the  extent  of  our  history,  this  bishop  lived  in 

a  private  way,  bare  no  great  stream,  as  being  before 
that  the  tide  of  greatness  flowed  in  upon  him  ;  yea» 
as  yet  he  took  more  notice  of  the  world  than  the 
world  did  of  him.  Indeed,  as  the  matter  whereof 
china  dishes  are  made  must  lie  some  ages  in  the 
earth  before  it  is  ripened  to  perfection,  so  great 
persons  are  not  fit  for  an  historian's  use  to  write 
freely  of  them  till  some  years  after  their  decease, 
when  their  memories  can  neither  be  marred  with 
envy  nor  mended  with  flattery  :  however,  his  good 
deeds  to  St.  John's  college  in  Oxford  must  not  be 
forgotten ;  yea,  that  whole  university  (if  afraid  in 
English  to  speak  in  praise  of  his  bounty)  will  ad- 
venture Mith  safety  to  commend  him  in  the  Arabic 
tongue,  whereof  he  founded  them  a  professor  **. 
31.  This  year  was  fatal  to  many  eminent  clergy- 

r  [Ileylyn's   Life   of   Laud,  Abbot,  to  bring  him  under  the 

p.  86.]  king's  displeasure,  (see  Laud's 

s    [Laud,  with   that  honesty  Diary).        But    it    is    certain 

and  integrity  which  character-  that  the   king  in    various  way 

ised  all    his    actions,    resigned  shewed   a  personal   regard  for 

the  presidentship  of  St.  Johns  him  ;  in  hearing  his  cause  re- 

upon   his   appointment   to   the  specting  the    presidentship   of 

bishopric    of    St.  David's,     al-  St.  John's  ;    in  a])pointing  him 

though  the  king  gave  him  leave  his  chaplain,    and    giving   him 

to  hold  it  in  comuiendam.    And  the  deanery  of  Gloucester  ;    in 

this  favor  from  the  king  is  a  suf-  taking    Laud    with    him    into 

ficient  proof  how  much  Hacket  Scotland.    And  we  have  direct 

must  have  misrepresented  the  proof   of  the    same    from    the 

way   in   which  Laud    obtained  entries  made  in  the  Diary  about 

his   appointment ;   as  if  it  had  a  month  before  the  vacancy  of 

been  procured  through  the  me-  the  see  of  St.  David's,  June3rd, 

diation  of  Williams,  (for  so  he  1621,    ''The    king's    gracious 

would  have  it,)  when  the  king  "  speech   unto  me,  concerning 

was  at  the  time  extremely  in-  "  my    long    service.      He   was 

censed    against    Laud.      Much  '•  pleased  to  say,  he  had  given 

had  been  done  by  Laud's  unre-  "  me  nothing  but  Gloucester, 

lenting    adversary,    archbishop  "  which  he   well  knew    was  a 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  499 

men,  besides  others    of  inferior  note.      We    begin  ad.  1620. 

with  John  King,  bishop  of  London,  formerly  dean 1 

of  Christ  Church,  who  died  on  Good  Friday  of  the  bishop  Jf'^' 
stone '^i  of  ancient  extraction,  in  cujus  genere  ?'e/^es*^*"'' 
indole  nihil  reperio  mediocre,  nihil  quod  non  prcB- 
cellens,  descended  (saith  the  Survey  of  London") 
from  the  Saxon  kings  in  Devonshire  by  his  father, 
Philip  King,  sometimes  page  to  king  Henry  the 
VITIth,  nephew  and  heir  to  Robert  King,  last  abbot 
of  Osney,  and  first  bishop  of  Oxford,  who  left  him  a 
great  personal  estate,  which  it  seems  was  quickly 
consumed,  so  that  this  prelate  used  to  say,  "  he 
"  believed  there  was  a  fate  in  abbey  money  no  less 
"  than  abbey  land,  which  seldom  proved  fortunate 
"  or  of  continuance  to  the  owners." 

32.  He  was  chaplain  to  queen  Elizabeth,  and  as  His  emi- 
he  was  appointed  by  her  council  to  preach  the  first 
sermon  at  court  when  her  body  lay  inhearsed  in  the 
chapel  of  Whitehall,  so  was  he  designed  for  the  first 
sermon  to  her  successor,  king  James,  at  Charter- 
house, when  he  entered  London,  then  sworn  his 
first  chaplain ;  who  commonly  called  him  "  the 
"  King  of  preachers."  And  sir  Edward  Coke  would 
say  of  him,  "  he  was  the  best  speaker  in  Star 
"  Chamber  in  his  time."     Soon  after  he  was  made 


"  shell  without  a  kernel."  That  that  deanery  for  himself.  (See 
Williams  should  have  interest-  Racket's  Life  of  Williams,  p. 
ed  himself  for  Laud  in  this  pre-  62.)  This  is  not  the  only  in- 
ferment  is  not  improbable,  since  stance  I  suspect  where  the  wily 
there  was  a  general  expectation  lord  keeper  has  imposed  upon 
that  Laud  should  have  been  the  simplicity  of  his  simple,  un- 
made dean  of  Westminster  and  suspecting  and  generally  kind- 
not  bishop  of  St.  David's  ;  and  hearted  biographer.] 
Williams,  at  this  time  appoint-  f  [March  30.  See  Henry 
ed  bishop  of  Lincoln,  was  mov-  King's  Serm.  p.  67  sq.] 
ing  seas  and  mountains  to  keep  "   [By  Stowe,]  p.  771^. 

K  k  2 


500 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.  1).  1621.  dean  of  Christ  Church,  Oxon'^ ;    and  chosen  one  of 

19  James.     \        ^  i  •         i  ,»  tt 

the  rour  preachers   in  the   conference  at  Hampton 

Court ;  then  advanced  to  the  bishopric  of  London, 
where  he  let  the  world  see  his  high  place  of  govern- 
ment did  not  cause  him  to  forsfet  his  office  in  the 
pulpit,  shewing  by  his  example  that  a  bishop  might 
govern  and  preach  too  :  in  which  service  he  was  so 
frequent,  that  unless  hindered  by  want  of  health, 
he  omitted  no  Sunday  whereon  he  did  not  visit 
some  pulpit  in  London  or  near  it. 

A  loud  lie.  33.  The  papists  raised  an  aspersion  as  false  as  foul 
upon  him ;  that  at  his  death  he  was  reconciled  to 
the  church  of  Rome,  sufficiently  confuted  by  those 
eye  and  ear  witnesses  present  at  his  pious  departure  ^. 
These  slanders  are  no   news   to  such  as  have  read 


'^  [He  was  made  dean  of 
Christ  Church  in  1605,  and 
bishop  of  London,  161 1.  See 
Wood's  Ath.  ii.  p.  294.] 

y  [The  Romanists  gave  out 
that  before  his  death  he  was 
reconciled  to  their  church,  and 
to  make  it  more  readily  credit- 
ed, one  Muskett,  a  secular 
priest,  wrote  and  published 
an  anonymous  book,  entitled, 
"  The  Bishop  of  London  his 
"  legacy,  or  certain  motives  of 
"  Dr.  King,  late  bishop  of  Lon- 
"  don,  for  his  change  of  reli- 
"  gion,  and  dying  in  the  Ca- 
"  tholic  and  Roman  church. 
"  With  a  conclusion  to  his 
"  brethren  the  Lords  Bishops 
"  of  England."  Permissu  Su- 
periorum,  1623.  4".  This  is 
apparently  the  third  edition 
of  it ;  unless  it  be  a  fictitious 
titlepage.  For  Gee,  in  a  tract 
printed  at  the  end  of  his  fore- 
mentionod  book,  entitled   "  A 


"  Gentle  Excuse  to  Mr.  Mus- 
"  kett,"  &c.  p.  100,  mentions 
this  work  as  havingalready  been 
reprinted  the  third  time.  The 
Bishop's  memory  was  cleared  in 
"  A  Sermon,  upon  John  xv.  20, 
"  preached  at  Paul's  Crosse,  the 
"25th  of  November,  162 1, 
"  upon  occasion  of  that  false 
"  and  scandalous  report,  lately 
"  printed,  touching  the  sup- 
"  posed  apostasy  of  the  Right 
"  Revd.  Father  in  God,  John 
"  King,  late  Lord  Bishop  of 
"  London,  by  Henry  King,  his 
"  eldest  son,  [afterwards  bishop 
"  of  Chichester].  Whereunto 
"  is  annexed  the  Examination 
"  and  answer  of  Thomas  Pres- 
"  ton  P.  taken  before  my  lord's 
"  grace  of  Canterbury  touching 
"  this  scandal.  Published  by 
"  authority  at  London,  &c. 
"  1 62 1."  4''.  (Dedicated  to  Pr. 
Charles.)  See  also  Gee's  "  Foot 
"  out  of  the  Snare,"  p.  81.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britnin.  •'501 

how   Luther  is    traduced   by   popish    pens   to   have  a.  d.  i62t. 

\()  James. 

died  blaspheming ;    Carlostadius  to  have  been  car 

ried  quick  by  a  devil ;    and  Beza  to  have  apostated 
before  his  death ;   in  all  which  truth  hath  triumphed 
over   their   malicious   forgeries.     Something  bishop 
King  endeavoured   in   the   repairing   of  St.  Paul's  ; 
but   alas,   a  private   man's   estate  may  be   invisibly 
buried  under  the  rubbish  of  the  least  chapel  there- 
in.    By  order  in  his  will  he  provided  that  nothing  Bom  at 
should  be  written  on  his  plain  grave-stone,  save  only  o^Jord-'" 
Resurgam ;    and  still  he  is  alive,  both  in  his  memory '''"■*'•  ^- ^ 
and  happy  posterity  '=.     George  Mountain,  bishop  of 
Lincoln,  succeeded  him  in  his  see  ;  who,  when  his 
great  housekeeping  and  magnificent  entertaining  of 
king  James  shall  be  forgotten,  will  longer  survive 
for  his  bountiful  benefaction  to  Queen's  college  in 
Cambridge,  whereof  he  was  fellow  and  proctor. 

34.  Secondlv,  William  Cotton,  bishop  of  Exeter,  wiiiiam 

■' --        -  i»    T  Cotton,  bp. 

born  in  Cheshire,    formerly  archdeacon  of  Lewes ;  of  Exeter, 

„  .    .  ,  i  •    i    •  r  dies,  whom 

one  of  a  stout  spirit,  and  a  great  maintamer  or  con-  valentine 
formity  against  the  opposers  thereof  in  his  diocese,  ^p^^*^'''  ^"^" 
Valentine  Carew,  dean  of  St.  Paul's,  and  master 
of  Christ  college  in  Cambridge,  of  a  courtlike  car- 
riage and  stout  spirit,  succeeded  him  in  Exeter, 
which  place  can  give  the  best  account  of  his  be- 
haviour therein. 

35.  Thirdly,  Robert  Townson,  born  in  Cambridge,  Robert 
fellow  of  Queen's  college,  dean  of  Westminster,  of  bp.  of  Sails- 
a  comely  carriage,   courteous   nature,   an    excellent  ^XomJohn 
preacher  :  he  left  his  wife  and  manv  children  neither  Davenant 

r  •  succeeds. 

z-  ["He  commanded  in    his  "  solemnities,  only  with  a  tomb- 

"  will  his  body  to  be  buried  in  "  stone  with  this  inscription — 

"  the   cathedral  church   of  St.  "  Resurgam."     Henry    King's 

"  Paul,  without  any  pomp  or  Sermon,  p.  71.] 

K  k  3 


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The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.  D.  1621.  plentifully  provided  for,  nor  destitute  of  maintenance, 

1 9  ames.  ^^,|^'^jj  rather  hastened  than  caused  the  advancement 

of  John  Davenant,  his  brother-in-law,  to  succeed  him 

in  the  bishopric  of  Salisbury  ^. 

The  death       36.    Therein  also  expired  Andrew  Willet  doctor 

drew  wii-  of  diviuity,  (godson  to  Andrew  Pearne,  dean  of  Ely, 

^*"  where  he  was  born,)  brought  up  in  Christ  college  in 

Cambridge,  who   ended  his  pious   life,  being  much 

bruised    with    a  fall   from   his    horse  ^.     A   man  of 

no  little  judgment  and  greater  industry,  not  unhappy 

in  controversies,  but  more  happy  in  comments,  and 

one  that  had  a  large  soul  in  a  narrow  estate.     For 

his  charge  being  great  (may  his  children  remember 

and  practise  their  father's  precepts)  and  means  small, 

as  more  proportioned  to  his  desires  than  deserts  ;  he 

was  bountiful  above  his  ability,  and  doubled  what  he 

gave  by  cheerful  giving  it.     He  was  buried  in  his 

parish  at  Barley  in  Hertfordshire.     Happy  village! 


»  [Sir.  "I  acquainted  no  man 
with  the  cause  of  my  sudden 
journey,  but  I  make  no  ques- 
tion but  by  this  it  is  too 
well  known.  Upon  Monday 
last  there  came  a  messenger 
bringing  me  the  heavy  tidings 
of  my  lord  of  Salisbury's  dan- 
gerous sickness.  I  presently 
set  out,  and  was  here  the  next 
morning  by  eight  of  clock, 
but  he  was  departed  an  hour 
before.  His  disease  was  a 
hot  pestilential  ague.  Upon 
Saturday  he  was  at  the  par- 
liament house,  but  felt  him- 
self distempered  when  he 
came  home.  That  very  night 
it  was  so  violent  that  they  had 
much  ado  to  keep  life  in  him : 
the  next  day  his  head  was  out 
of  temper,  but  the  rest  of  his 


'  body  more  at  ease  than  be- 
'  fore.  Upon  Monday  morn- 
'  ing,  being  out  of  pain  and 
'  cheerful,  he  found  an  incli- 
'  nation  to  sleep  ;  and  falling 
'  into  a  short  slumber,  pre- 
'  sently  after  he  departed  this 
'  life.  '***** 
'  It  hath  pleased  the  marquis 
'  and  many  other  honourable 
'  personages  to  send  comfort- 
'  able  messages  unto  my  afflict- 
'  ed  sister,  with  promise  to 
'  move  his  majesty  that  some 
'  special  regard  may  be  had  of 
'  her  and  her  many  fatherless 
'  children."  Davenant  to  Ward. 

May  18,  1621.  Tanner's  MSS. 

Ixxiii.  p.  26.] 

t»   [Dec.  4th.  1621.    Seethe 

account  of  his  life  and  death  in 

Fuller's  Abel  Red.  p.  565.] 


CKNT.  XVII.  of  Britnin.  oO.'J 

which  lost  such  a  light,  and  yet  was  not  left  in  ^l^'"!^-'^;  ^3,',^^"' 

ness ;    only  exchanging    blessings,   reverend    doctoi 

Brownrig-or  succeedino-  him. 

37.  Nor  must  we  forget  Richard  Parry,  doctor  of  And  of  Dr. 
divinity,  bishop  ot  Asaph,  who  this  year  exchanged  pa,-,  y. 
this  life  for  a  better.  He  was  first  bred  in  Christ 
Church  in  Oxford,  where  he  made  plentiful  proceed- 
ing in  learning  and  religion,  and  thence  was  ad- 
vanced to  the  deanery  of  Bangor,  on  whom  bishop 
Godwin  bestows  this  (call  it  compliment  or)  cha- 
racter :  '^  Cui  eruditione,  cceterisque  episcopalibus  vir- 
tutibus  utinam  egomet   tarn  illi  essem  cBCjualis,  quam 

ille  mihi  (p.tate,  studiorumque  academicorum  tempore 
locoque. 

38.  We    conclude    this    vear    with  the  death  of  The  death 

•  of  Mr.  Fr. 

master  Francis  Mason",  to  whose  worthy  book,   Z/e Mason. 
Ministerio  Anglicano,  we  have  been  so  much  behold- 
ing.    Nor  will  it  be  amiss  to  insert  his  epitaph  : 

Prima  Deo  cut  curafuit  sacrare  labores, 

Cui  studiiim  sacris  invigilare  lihris  ; 
Ecce  sub  hoc  tandem  rcqu'ievit  marmore  Mason, 

Expectans  Domimim  speque  fide  que  auum^. 

He  was  born  in  the  bishopric  of  Durham,  brought 
up  in  the  university  of  Oxford,  bachelor  of  divinity, 
fellow  of  Merton  college,  chaplain  to  king  James, 
rector  of  Orford  in  Suffolk ^  where  he  lies  buried, 
and  where  he  built  the  parsonage  house.  He  had 
three  children  by  his  loving  wife  Elizabeth,  who 
erected  a  fair  monument  to  his  memory. 

c   Godwin  De  Priesul.  [643.]  ^  [And  finally  installed  arch- 

'^    [Dec.   1 62 1.]  deacon   of  Norfolk,    i8th  Dec. 

p   [See    Wood's    Ath.   ii.    p.      1619.] 

iv  k  4 


SECT.  VI. 


TO 


SAMUEL      M  I  C  0\ 


OF  LONDON,  ALDERMAN. 


You  have  not  spent,  but  laid  out  much  time  in  Italy,  to  the 
great  improvement  of  your  judgment  and  estate :  hoio  cun- 
ning chapmen  those  countrymen  are  in  buying  and  selling  is 
not  to  you  unknown  ;  but  this  section  presents  you  with  an 
Italian  cardinal,  a  most  crafty  broker  in  matters  of  religion, 
till  at  laM  he  deceived  himself.  Peruse  it  I  pray,  and  if 
the  reading  thereof  can  add  nothing  to  your  knowledge,  the 
vyriting  of  it  may  serve  as  my  acknowledgment  of  your 
favours  received. 

ATELY^  we  made  mention  of  the  com- 
ing over  of  Marcus  Antonius  de  Do- 
minis,  the  archbishop  of  Spalato,  into 
England,  and  now  shall  prosecute  that 
subject  at  large ;  for  this  year  began 
happily,  because  with  the  end  of  that  arrant  apostata 
in  this  land,  and  his  fair  riddance  out  of  the  limits 
thereof.  He  had  fourteen  years  been  archbishop  of 
Spalato,  in  Dalmatia,  under  the  state  of  Venice,  and 


a  [Arms.  Or,  three  moors' 
heads  couped,  side-faced  sable, 
filleted  round  the  temples  ar- 
gent. The  widow  of  sir  Sa- 
muel Mic(»   (for  he  was  after- 


wards knighted)  founded  the 
Mercers'  almshouses  in  Rat- 
cliffe.     Lyson's    Environs,   iii. 

P-  473;] 

^  Vide  supra,  j).  443. 


r  E  N  T .  X  V 1 1 .  of  Brit  a  in .  505 

some  five  years  since,  to  wit,  I6l6,  came  over  into  a.  d.  1622. 

England.     Conscience  in  show  and  covetousness  in 1 

deed  caused  his  coming  hither.  He  pretended  to 
have  discovered  innumerable'"  novelties  and  perni- 
cious errors  in  the  court  of  Rome,  injuriously  en- 
grossing the  right  and  honour  of  the  universal  church. 
He  complained,  many  points  were  obtruded  on  men's 
consciences,  as  articles  of  faith,  which  Christ  in  the 
scripture  never  instituted.  He  accounted  the  Romish 
church  mystical  d  Babylon,  and  Sodom  ;  and  the 
pope,  Nimrod,  a  tyrant,  schismatic,  heretic,  yea,  even 
« Antichrist  himself.  But  that  which  sharpened  his 
pen  against  the  pope  was  a  particular  grudge  against 
pope  Paul,  who  had  ordered  him  to  pay  a  yearly 
pension  of  five  hundred  crowns  out  of  his  bishopric 
to  one  Andreutius,  a  suffragan  bishop,  which  this 
archbishop  refused  to  do,  complaining,  it  was  unjust, 
and  imposed  without  his  knowledge  and  consent. 
The  matter  is  brought  to  the  rota,  or  court  of 
Rome,  where  the  wheel  went  on  the  wrong  side,  for 
our  Spalato,  who,  angry  that  he  was  cast  in  his 
cause,  posts  out  of  Italy,  through  Germany,  into 
the  Low  Countries  ^     Here  he  stayed  a  while,  and 

c  In  his  book  called  "  Consi-  Life  of  Williams,  p.  ico.      The 

lium  Profectionis,"  pp.  15 — 17.  same  seems  to  be  indicated  in 

[An  English  translation  of  this  a  pamphlet  written  against  his 

book  will  be  found  in  Somers'  "  Consilium  reditus,"  by  John 

Tracts,  vol.  ii.  p.  19.]  Floyd,  a  Jesuit,  under  the  fol- 

''  Ibid.  p.  34.  lowing  title  and  name  ;   "  Svn- 

6  Ibid.  p.  76.  "  opsis  Apostasicie  Marci   Ant. 

f    [So     Crakenthorpe,     Def.  "  de  Dominis,  &c.  Auctore  Fi- 

Eccles.    Anglic,    p.  3.       From  "  deli     Annoso      Verimontano 

whom  this  account  of  Spalato  "  theologo,"  Antv.  1617.     See 

is  principally  derived.     Hacket  p.  12.     The  same  writer  says, 

says,    "  he   had  incensed  pope  "  that  De    Dominis   was  com- 

"  Paul  by  defending  the   \'e-  "  pelled   to  flee."    p.  17.      See 

"  netian    cause    against    him."  Alegambc,  Bibliotheca,  p. 449.] 


506  The  Chfrrc/i  Hisfori/  book  x. 

A.I).  1622.  tampered   for  preferment,   till    finding   the   roof   of 

J^LL_!!l  their  church  too  low  for  his  lofty  thoughts,  and  their 

presbyterian  government  uncomplying  with  his  ar- 

chiepiscopal  spirit,  he  left  the  Netherlands  and  came 

over  into  England. 

His  hounti-      2.  It  is  almost  incredible,  what  flocking  of  people 

fill  enter-        ,  iiiii-         ii  ii-i 

tainment.  there  was  to  behold  this  old  archbishop,  now  a  new 
convert;  prelates  and  peers  presented  him  with  gifts 
of  high  valuation.  Indeed,  it  is  an  humour  of  our 
English  strangely  to  admire  strangers,  believing  in- 
visible perfections  in  them  above  those  of  our  land. 
A  quality  commendable  in  our  countrymen,  whilst 
inclining  them  to  hospitality,  but  sometimes  betray- 
ing their  credulity  to  be  thereby  dangerously  de- 
luded. He  was  feasted  wheresoever  he  came,  and 
the  universities  (when  he  visited  them)  addressed 
themselves  to  him  in  their  solemn  reception,  as  if  he 
himself  alone  had  been  an  university^. 

Heis  richly      3.  But  above  all,  king  James  (whose  hands  were 

preferred  ^ 

by  king  seldom  sliut  to  aiiy,  and  always  open  to  men  of 
merit)  was  most  munificent  unto  him,  highly  re- 
joicing that  Rome  had  lost,  and  England  got,  such 
a  jewel.  How  many  of  English  youth  were  tolled 
out  of  our  universities  into  Italy,  and  there  taught 
treason  and  heresy  together.  This  aged  prelate,  of 
eminent  parts,  coming  thence  of  his  own  accord, 
would  make  us  plentiful  reparation  for  the  depar- 
ture of  many  novices.  The  king  consigned  him 
to  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury'^  for  his  present 
entertainment,  till  he  might  be  accommodated  to 
subsist  of  himself ;  and,  as  an  earnest  of  his  bounty, 
sent  him  to  Lambeth  n  fair  bason  and  bowl  of  silver. 

^  [Hiicket's  Lift*  of  Williams,  pp.  31,  36.]        '>  [(jeorjie  Abbot.  | 


CENT.  xvTT.  of  Britain.  507 

which  Spalato  received  with  this  compliment,  Misit ad.  1622. 

mihi  red'  Magna  Britannice  poluhrum  argenteuin  ad — 

ahstergendas  sordes  Romance  eccledat,  et  poculum 
argenteum  ad  imbibendam  evanqelii  puritatem  :  "  The 
"  king  of  Great  Britain  hath  sent  me  a  silver  bason 
"  to  wash  from  me  the  filth  of  the  Roman  church, 
"  and  a  silver  cup  to  mind  me  to  drink  the  purity  of 
"  the  gospel."  Preferment  is  quickly  found  out  and 
conferred  u]ion  him  ;  as  the  deanery  of  Windsor, 
(though  founded  not  in  a  cathedral  but  collegiate 
church,)  one  of  the  genteelest  and  entirest  dignities  of 
the  land,  the  mastership  of  the  hospital  of  the  Savoy, 
with  a  good  parsonage  at  West  Tlsley  in  Berkshire, 
being  a  ])eculiar  belonging  to  the  episcopal  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  dean  of  Windsor' ;  and,  finding  one  pre- 
cedent in  his  predecessor,  he  collated  this  parsonage 
on  himself,  and  there  made  shift  for  so  much  English 
as  sufficed  him  to  read  the  Nine  and  Thirty  Articles, 
(as  an  '^auditor  there  present  hath  informed  me,) 
which  formerly  he  had  subscribed.  Thus  had  he 
two  houses  furnished  above  plenty,  even  unto  mag- 
nificence, and  might  alternately  exchange  society  for 
privacy  at  pleasure. 

4.  He  improved   the   profit   of  his  places  to  the  His  great 
utmost,  and  had  a  design  to  question  all  his  prede- 
cessors' leases  at  the  Savoy,  and  began  to  be  very 

'  [The  deanery  of  Windsor  on  the  13th  of  May  following, 
and  mastership  of  the  Savoy  See  Rymer,  ib.  88  =  62.] 
were  together  worth  800/.  per  "^  Mr.  Caesar  Calendrine  mi- 
annum.  Racket's  Williams,  p.  nister  of  the  Dutch  church. 
98.  The  mastership  of  the  [Montague,  in  the  Epistle  De- 
Savoy  was  confirmed  to  him  by  dicatory  prefixed  to  his  Treatise 
a  grant  from  the  king  dated  concerning  the  Invocation  of 
March  26,  1618,  exemplified  Saints,  j)rinted  in  1624,  states 
in  Rymer,  xvii.  79=^vii.  56.  the  same  thing,  being  al.so  pre- 
and    the   deanery    of  Windsor  sent  at  the  time.  I 


508  I'he  Church  History  book  x. 

A,  D.  1622.  vexatious  to  his  tenants.     Some  of  them  repaired  to 

20  James.      ,  ^^.  i-i  <•    x  ■>  ■>  ^      • 

tloctor  King,   bishop  or  London,  who,   at   their  re- 

qeust,  took  Spalato  to  task,  and  as  gravely  as  sharply 
reproved  him ;  that,  being  a  foreigner,  he  would  fall 
out  with  natives,  endeavouring  to  put  others  here 
out  of  their  peaceable  possessions,  who  himself  had 
fled  hither  for  his  o\mi  refuge ;  especially,  having 
professed  in  })rint,  "  That  he  had  deposed  all  'affec- 
"  tion  to,  and  gust  of  earthly  things ;  and  that  he 
"  himself,  being  almost  naked,  did  follow  a  "'naked 
"  Christ."  Hereupon,  at  the  reverend  bishop's  ad- 
monition, he  let  fall  his  former  design.  But  it  "was 
not  the  counsel  of  this  King,  but  of  a  greater  king, 
which  deterred  him  from  this  project,  viz.  king 
James  himself,  to  whom  Spalato  complained,  "  That 
"  the  lands  of  the  Savoy  were  let  out  for  little  rents 
*'  to  the  great  loss  of  his  place,  and  poor  therein," 
(not  that  he  cared  for  the  poor,  but  bare  the  bag 
and  what  was  put  into  it,)  acquainting  his  majesty 
with  his  intent  to  rectify  those  abuses,  and  call 
those  leases  into  question.  To  whom  the  king  in 
some  choler,  Extraneus,  ewtraneus  es^  relinque  res 
sictit  eas  inimiisti,  "  You  are  a  stranger ;  you  are 
"  a  stranger;  leave  things  as  you  found  them  !"  and 
yet  the  same  man  would  very  passionately  persuade 
others  to  bounty  to  the  poor,  though  he  would  give 
nothing  himself:  witness  his  earnest  moving  the 
chapter  of  Windsor  in  this  kind,  to  whom  one  of 
the  prebendaries  answered.  Qui  suadet,  sua  deU  "  Let 
"  him  that  persuades  others,  give  something  of  his 
"  own"." 

1   [Preface   to    his   Works,]  "    [The    same    anecdote    is 

De  Repub.  Eccl.  %.  6.  related  in  Fuller's  Mixt  Con- 

•n  Sor.  pri.  p.  191.  templations,  §.  xix.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  501) 

5,  I  am  also  credibly  informed  from  an  excellent  a.  d.  1622. 

^20  James. 

hand,  of  the  truth  of  this  story.     Spalato  had  found 

Another  in- 

a  small  fla\v  in  a  lease  of  value  which  a  gentlewoman  stance  of 
of  quality  held  of  the  dean  and  chapter  of  Windsor. /,',!  com- ^' 
To  her  house  he  comes  with  all  his  men,  where  she"""'^"*' 
magnificently  entertains  him,  as  overjoyed  that  her 
chief  landlord  came  so  courteously  to  visit  her. 
Spalato  next  morning,  after  his  plentiful  supper, 
having  settled  himself  in  the  parlour,  suddenly  cries 
out,  Abscedif.e  omnes ;  abscedite !  "Be  ye  all  gone; 
"  be  ye  gone  !"  intending  to  take  possession  for  him- 
self. The  gentlewoman  perceiving  him  at  this  pos- 
ture, with  herself  and  servants  well  favouredly  thrust 
him  out  of  her  house,  coming  oif  with  sufficient  dis- 
grace. Afterwards,  consulting  the  learned  in  our 
laws  about  the  lease,  they  told  him,  "  that  though 
"  possibly  he  might  get  the  better  of  her  in  the 
"  common  law,  yet  the  chancery  would  relieve  her, 
"  who  so  dearly  had  bought,  so  truly  had  paid  for, 
*'  and  so  peaceably  had  possessed  her  estate  therein." 
"  Fie  for  shame  !"  saith  Spalato,  "  are  your  English 
"  laws  so  contrived,  that  what  is  done  by  one  court 
"may  be  undone  by  another?"  This  may  suffice 
to  evidence  his  avarice :  nor  must  it  be  forgotten, 
though  he  pretended,  at  his  coming  over,  that  for 
conscience  he  freely  left  his  archbishopric  of  Spa- 
lato, that  in  very  deed  he  resigned  the  same  to  his 
nephew,  conditionally  to  pay  him  an  annual  pension 
out  of  it ;  Sed  magnus  nehulo  nil  solvit ;  "  But  the 
"great  knave  pays  me  nothing;"  as  he  himself 
complained  to  my  reverend  friend  the  archbishop  of 
Armagh. 

6.  He  falls  now  to  perfect   his  books  :    for  his  His  learned 

,  111  writings  a- 

works  were  not  now  composed   but  corrected;   not  gainst  Ro- 

mish  error. 


.510 


The  Church  History 


A.  D.1622.  compiled  but  completed  ;  as  being,  though  of  English 
'^*^'  birth,  of  Italian  conception.  For  formerly  the  col- 
lections were  made  by  him  at  Spalato,  but  he  durst 
not  make  them  public  for  fear  of  the  inquisition. 
His  works  (being  three  fair  folios,  De  Republica 
Ecclesiastica,)  give  ample  testimony  of  his  suffici- 
ency".     Indeed,  he  had  a  controversial  head  with 


o   [The  briefest  and  yet  most 
comprehensive  account  of  this 
work,  which  is  full  of  research 
and    displays  great  knowledge 
of  antiquity,  may  best  be  given 
in  the  author's  own  words  pre- 
fixed to  the  first  volume.    "  In 
"  his  X.  de  Rep.  Ecclesiastica 
"  libris.    verum     et    proprium 
"  Ecclesise    regimen,    quale    a 
"  Christo   fuit  institutum,    ab 
"  Apostolis,apostolicisque  viris 
'*  usurpatum,   a  Sanctis    Patri- 
•'  bus    traditum,     a     Conciliis 
"  Catholicis  inculcatum,  et  ab 
"  universali     Christi     Ecclesia 
"  per  plura  incorrupta  saecula 
"  usu    acceptum,   ex    ipso   sa- 
"  crarum    Scripturarum   fonte, 
"  patrumque    et    Conciliorum, 
"  ac  Scriptoruni  orthodoxorum 
"  monumentis     fuse     explica- 
"  tur."  The  first  volume,  which 
treats    upon   the  external  and 
internal     jurisdiction     of    the 
church,  was  published  at  Lon- 
don, 1 61 7;    the  second,  which 
is  devoted  to  the  consideration 
of   the    vSacraments,    in    1620, 
at    the    same   place ;     the  last 
volume,  which  was  never  com- 
pleted  on   account   of  the  au- 
thor's troubles,  nppeared  abroad 
long    after     at    Frankfort     in 
1658  ;   and  is  perhaps  the  most 
valuable     of    the     three.        It 
treats  of  the    rule  of  faith   in 
its   widest   extent  ;    of  schism 


and  heresy  ;  of  the  notes  of  the 
church  ;  of  benefices,  and  the 
temporal  goods  of  the  church, 
&c.  By  Cosins,  (Transubst.  p. 
22.)  ;  by  Hammond,  (Works, 
i.  p.  255.)  ;  by  Thorndike,  and 
others  of  our  most  learned  di- 
vines, this  book  is  spoken  of 
with  great  commendation.  But 
Fuller  is  rather  spiteful  against 
Antonio's  memory,  and  for 
this  reason  : — Spalato's  arrival 
in  this  country  was  welcomed 
with  great  rejoicing  ;  by  none 
more  so  than  by  that  party  in 
the  church  who  had  distin- 
guished themselves  for  their 
uncompromising  hostility  to  the 
church  of  Rome.  They  looked 
upon  this  secession  of  one  so 
greatly  distinguished  as  a  tri- 
umph of  their  principles  ;  and 
every  where  Antonio  was  feast- 
ed and  caressed.  Archbishop 
Abbot,  the  most  influential 
advocate  of  puritan  doctrines, 
"  gave  him  lodging  and  diet  at 
"  his  own  house;"  (Goodman, 
i.  p.  339.)  sir  Dudley  Carleton, 
the  countenancer  of  the  contra- 
remonstrants,  negotiated  for  his 
favourable  reception  and  pro- 
vision in  this  country,  and  all 
persons  drew  forward  to  do 
honour  to  one  who  had  paid 
s(»  much  homage  to  the  doc- 
trines and  discipline  of  the 
(  hurch  of  England.     But  with 


<:knt.  xvii. 


of  Britain. 


511 


a  strong  and  clear  style,  nor  doth  an  hair  hang  atA.i).  1621. 
the   nib  of  his  pen  to  blurr  his  writings  with  ob- '- 


all  his  learniiig  and  ability, 
(if  we  may  credit  Goodman) 
Antonio  was  "  of  a  restless  and 
"  unquiet  spirit."  The  want 
of  order  and  discipline  in  this 
church  soon  disgusted  him  ; 
but  especially  "  the  intolerable 
*'  sacrilege  and  rajiine  of  those 
"  days,"  of  which  he  was  an  eye- 
witness ;  (Goodman,  i.  p. 344.) 
Nor  had  he  fallen  among  those 
who  were  likely  to  mend  mat- 
ters, or  increase  his  esteem  for 
his  new  associates.  So  "being 
"  daily  vexed  with  many  af- 
"  fronts  and  injuries,"  (says 
bp.  Cosin,  who  knew  him  well,) 
"  and  wearied  by  the  unjust 
"  persecutions  of  some  sour  and 
"  over-rigid  men,"  (he  means 
"  Abbot  and  the  Puritans,) 
"  who  bitterly  declaimed  every 
"  where  against  his  life  and 
"  actions,  he  at  last  resolved  to 
"  return  into  Italv  with  a  safe 
"  conduct.  Before  he  depart- 
"  ed,  he  was,  by  order  from  the 
'*  king,  questioned  by  some 
"  commissionated  bishops  what 
."  he  thought  of  tlie  religion  and 
"  Church  of  England,  which  for 
"  so  many  years  he  had  served 
"  and  obeyed,  and  what  he 
"  would  say  of  it  in  the  Roman 
"court?  To  this  query  he  gave 
"  in  writing  this  memorable  an- 
"  swer  :  '  I  am  resolved,  even 
"  with  the  danger  of  my  life, 
"  to  profess  before  the  pope 
"  himself,  that  the  Church  of 
"  England  is  a  true  and  ortho- 
"  dox  church  of  Christ.'  This 
"  he  not  only  promised  but 
'*  faithfully  performed  ;  for 
"  though  soon  after  his  depar- 


"  ture  there  came  a  book  out  of 
"  the  Low  Countries,  falsely 
"  bearing  his  name,  by  whose 
"  title  many  were  deceived,  and 
"  thereby  moved  to  tax  him 
"  with  apostasy,  and  of  being 
"  another  Ecebolius;  yet  when 
"  he  came  to  Rome,  where  he 
"  was  most  kindly  entertained 
"  in  the  palace  of  pope  Gregory 
"  XV.  (who  formerly  had  been 
"  his  fellow-student,)  he  could 
"  never  be  persuaded  by  the 
"  Jesuits  and  others,  who  daily 
"  thronged  upon  him,  neither 
"  to  subscribe  the  newly  devised 
"  tenets  of  the  council  of  Trent, 
"  or  to  retract  those  orthodox 
"  books  which  he  had  printed  in 
"  England  and  Germany,  or  to 
"  renounce  the  communion  of 
"  the  Church  of  England,  in 
"  whose  defence  he  constantly 
"  persisted  to  the  very  last.  But 
"  presently  after  the  decease  of 
"  pope  Gregory,  he  was  impri- 
"  soned  by  the  Jesuits  and  in- 
"  quisitors  in  the  castle  of  St. 
"  Angelo,  where,  by  being  bar- 
"  barously  used  and  almost 
"  starved,  he  soon  got  a  mortal 
"  sickness  and  died  in  a  few 
"  days,  though  not  without 
"  suspicion  of  being  poisoned. 
"  The  day  following,  his  corpse 
"  was,  by  the  sentence  of  the  in- 
"  quisition,  tied  to  an  infamous 
"  stake,  and  then  burnt  to  ashes, 
"  for  no  other  reason  but  that 
"  he  refused  to  make  abjuration 
"  of  the  religion  of  the  Church 
"  of  England."  Bp.  Cosin  con- 
cludes these  observations,  which 
he  attirms  were  not  known  to 
many,  by  saying.  "  that  he  had 


jeered. 


512  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  i622.scurity ;  but,  first  understanding  himself,  he  could 
20  ames.  j^^q  others  Understand  him.  His  writings  are  of 
great  use  for  the  Protestant  cause.  Many,  saith  the 
J*  Prophet,  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be 
increased.  And  surely  the  transcursion  of  Italians 
hither  added  much  to  the  discovery  of  the  papal 
abominations.  Yet  allowing  Spalato  diligent  in 
writing,  his  expression  was  a  notorious  hyperbole, 
when  saying,  "  In  reading,  meditation,  and  writing, 
"  I  am  almost  pined  away'^;"  otherwise  his  fat  cheeks 
did  confute  his  false  tongue  in  that  expression. 
Thejeerer  7-  Amougst  othor  of  his  ill  qualities  he  delighted 
in  jeering,  and  would  spare  none  who  came  in  his 
way.  One  of  his  sarcasms  he  unhappily  bestowed 
on  count  Gondomar,  the  Spanish  ambassador,  telling 
him,  "  That  three  turns  at  Tyburn  was  the  only  way 
"  to  cure  his  fistula."  The  don,  highly  offended 
hereat,  (pained  for  the  present  more  with  his  flout 
than  his  fistula,)  meditates  revenge,  and  repairs  to 
king  James.  He  told  his  majesty,  that  "  his  charity" 
(an  error  common  in  good  princes)  "  abused  his  judg- 
"  ment,  in  conceiving  Spalato  a  true  convert,  who 

"  taken  occasion    of   inserting  "  self,  as  buried  in  my  study, 

"  this  narrative  to  make  it  ap-  "  daily  spending  ten  hours  in 

"  pear  that    this    rev.  prelate,  "  reading,  meditation, and writ- 

"  who  did  such  service  to  the  "  ing."      Spal.  Shiftings,  p.42. 

"  church  of  God,  might  be  truly  The  English  tract    is   nothing 

"  reckoned  among  the  writers  more   than    a  translation  from 

"  of  the  Church  of  England."  the  Latin.    The  title  of  the  first 

Hist,  of  Transubst.  p.  23.]  isasfollows:  "AlterEcebolius; 

P  Dan.  xii.  4,  "  M.  Ant.   de   Dominis  Arch. 

q  "  In  lectiune,  meditatmie,  "  Spalatensis,    ))luribus  Domi- 

"  scriptione     consumens     peeve  "  nis  inservire  doctus."    Lond. 

"  marcesco."    Resp.  Archiepis.  1624.  40.      Of  the  other,  "  M. 

Spal.    Feb.    11.    ad    Artie.    3.  "  Ant.  de  Dominis,  Archbishop 

1621  =  1622 ["I  have  '•  of  Spalato,  his  Shiftings   in 

"  in  a  sort  drowned  myself  in  "  Religion.      A  man  for  many 

"  niv  books  and  macerated  mv-  "  masters."     Loud.  1624.  4".] 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  513 


"  still  in  heart  remained  a  Roman  catholic."  Indeed,  a.  d.  1622. 

20  James. 

his  majesty  had   a   rare   felicity  in   discovering  the 

falsity  of  witches,  and  forgery  of  snch  who  pre- 
tended themselves  possessed ;  but  under  favour  was 
deluded  with  this  man's  false  spirit,  and  by  his 
majesty's  leave  he  would  detect  unto  him  this  his 
hypocrisy.  The  king  cheerfully  embraced  his  motion, 
and  left  him  to  the  liberty  of  his  own  undertakings. 

8.  The  ambassador  writeth  to  his  catholic  majesty ;  Spaiato  his 

hypocrisy 

he  to  his  holiness  Gregory  the  fifteenth,  that  Spalato  discovered, 
might  be  pardoned,  and  preferred  in  the  church  of 
Rome,  which  was  easily  obtained.  Letters  are  sent 
from  Rome  to  count  Gondomar,  written  by  the  car- 
dinal Mellino,  to  impart  them  to  Spalato,  informing 
him  that  the  pope  had  forgiven  and  forgotten  all 
which  he  had  done  or  written  against  the  Catholic 
religion ;  and  upon  his  return  would  prefer  him  to 
the  bishopric  of  Salerno  in  Naples,  worth  twelve 
thousand  crowns  by  the  year"".  A  cardinal's  hat  also 
should  be  bestowed  upon  him.  And,  if  Spalatowith 
his  hand  subscribed  to  this  letter  would  renounce 
and  disclaim  what  formerly  he  had  printed,  an  apo- 
stolical breve  with  pardon  should  be  solemnly  sent 
him  to  Brussels.  Spalato  embraceth  the  motion,  likes 
the  pardon  well,  the  preferment  better,  accepts  both  ; 
recants  his  opinions  largely,  subscribes  solemnly,  and 
thanks  his  holiness  affectionately  for  his  favour. 
Gondomar  carries  his  subscription  to  king  James, 
who  is  glad  to  behold  the  hypocrite  unmasked,  ap- 
pearing in  his  own  colours  ;  yet  the  discovery  was 
concealed,  and  lay  donnant  some  days  in  the  desk, 
which  was  in  due  time  to  be  awakened. 

'  [3000/.  sterling  per  annum,     archbishop's  agent,   in    "Spa- 
See  the  letter  of  Demetrius,  the     "  lato's  Shiftings,"  p.  59.] 

FULLER,   VOL.   V.  L  1 


514 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D.  1623.      9,  Now  it  happened  a  false  rumour  was  spread, 
'  that  Toby  IVIatthew,  archbishop  of  York,  (who  died 


He  is  in- 


censed with  yearly  in  report,)  was  certainly  deceased.  Presently 
a  repu  se.  p^g^-g  t^^paJa^o  to  Thcobalds,  becomes  an  importunate 
petitioner  to  the  king  for  the  vacant  archbishopric, 
and  is  as  flatly  denied  ;  the  king  conceiving  he  had 
given  enough  already  to  him,  if  grateful,  too  much, 
if  ungrateful^.  Besides,  the  king  would  never  be- 
stow an  episcopal  charge  in  England  on  a  foreigner, 
no,  not  on  his  own  countrymen  ;  some  Scotchmen 
being  preferred  to  deaneries,  none  to  bishoprics. 
Spalato,  offended  at  this  repulse,  (for  he  had  rather 
had  York  than  Salerno,  as  equal  in  wealth,  higher 


s  ["  About  the  middle  of  au- 
tumn, anno  1621,  Ant.  de 
Dominis  besought  the  king 
to  confer  the  archbishopric 
of  York  upon  him.  A  hasty 
suitor,  for  the  place  was  not 
void.  The  error  came  about 
thus :  The  archbishop  then  in 
being  (called  familiarly  Toby 
JMatthew)  was  ever  pleasant 
and  full  of  becoming  merri- 
ment ;  and  knowing  that  his 
death  had  been  longexpected, 
was  wont  every  year,  once  or 
oftener,  to  cause  rumours  to 
be  raised  that  he  was  de- 
ceased. And  when  he  had 
put  this  dodgery  strongly 
upon  those  at  London  that 
gaped  for  the  vacancy  to  suc- 
ceed him,  it  was  a  feast  of 
laughter  to  him  to  hear  what 
running  and  riding  there  was 
to  fill  up  his  room,  who 
jeered  them  behind  the  lat- 
tice. No  wonder  if  Spalato, 
a  stranger,  was  catched  in 
this  trap.  But  he  had  worse 
luck  than  to  be  derided  for 


'  his  forwardness,  for  the  king 
"  bade  him  sit  quiet  and  seek  no 
"  further.  It  was  not  now,  as 
"  in  Lanfranc's  and  Anselm's 
"  days,  to  make  a  stranger  a 
"  metropolitan  of  England. 
"  The  man,  impatient  that  his 
"  request  had  so  large  a  denial, 
"  offers  his  departure,  as  'tis 
"  said  before,  not  distrusting 
"  but  that  the  king  would  bid 
"  for  such  ware  as  much  as  the 
"  man  thought  himself  to  be 
"  worth.  But  being  overshot 
"  and  laid  aside  with  scorn,  he 
"  would  have  eat  his  words, 
"  and  cast  out  speeches  in  ob- 
"  liquo  before  the  council,  that 
"  whatever  he  had  uttered,  he 
"  was  disposed  more  to  please 
"  the  king  than  to  please  him- 
"  self.  But  he  found  no  place 
"  for  repentance.  And  of  all 
"  this  the  lord  keeper  (Wil- 
"  liams)  is  my  author."  Rack- 
et's Life  Williams,  p.  98. 

This  was  previous  to  Spala- 
to's  receiving  cardinal  Mellino's 
packet  from  Rome.] 


CENT.  XVII, 


of  Britain.  515 


in  dignity,    nearer  in    place,)    requests   his   majesty  A- 1>^J^^2. 

by  his  letter,  to  grant  his  good  leave  to  depart  the 

kingdom,  and  to  return  into  Italy;  pope  Paul,  his 
fierce  foe,  being  now  dead,  and  Gregory  the  fif- 
teenth, his  fast  friend,  being  now  seated  in  the 
chair.  The  copy  of  whose  letter  we  have  here 
inserted*  : — 

To  the  high  and  mighty  prince,  James,  by  the  grace 
of  God  king  of  Great  Britain,  Sfc.  defender  of  the 
faith,  Sfc.  M.  Atithonie  de  Domifiis,  archbishop  of 
Spalato,  wisheth  all  happiness  ". 

"  Those  two  popes  which  were  most  displeased  at 
"  my  leaving  of  Italy  and  coming  into  England,  Paulus 
"  Quintus,  and  he  which  now  liveth,  Gregory  the 
"  fifteenth,  have  both  laboured  to  call  me  back  from 
"  hence,  and  used  divers  messages  for  that  purpose, 
"  to  which  notwithstanding  I  gave  no  heed  :  but 
*'  now  of  late,  when  this  same  pope  (being  certified 
"  of  my  zeal  in  advancing  and  furthering  the  union 
*'  of  all  Christian  churches)  did  hereupon  take  new 
"  care,  and  endeavour  to  invite  me  again  unto  him, 
"  and    signified  withal,    that   he    did   seek   nothing 

t  QAnt.  deDominis  his  Shift-  Bishop   Hacket  likewise,  in 

ings,  &c.  p.  5.]  his  Life  of  Williams,  p.  98,  sq. 

u   [This  letter,  with  the  sub-  has  given  an  account  of  Spala- 

sequent     narrative     respecting  to's  arrival  and  conduct  in  Eng- 

Ant.  de  Doniinis,  is  principally  land,    in    many   points    resem- 

taken  from  a  pamphlet  entitled  bling    and  confirming  Fuller's 

"  M.   Ant.   de  Dominis,   arch-  narrative.  I  cannot  help  think- 

"  bishop  of  Spalato  his  Shift-  ing   therefore    from   these  and 

"  Jngs     in     Religion,"     Lond.  other  remarkable  coincidences, 

1624,40.:    it   was    drawn  up,  that   either    Fuller  must  liave 

as  appears  by  the  printer's  no-  seen  the  IMS.  of  Hacket,  which 

tice  to  the  reader,  by  Richard  Avas  evidently  composed  about 

Neile,  then  bishop  of  Durham,  the  year  1654,  or  that  both  had 

for  the  use  of  a  reverend  friend,  access  to  the  same  papers.] 

l1  2 


516  The  Church  Hiatory  book  x. 

A.D.  1622,"  therein  but  God's  glory,  and  to  use  my  poor  help 

^"  also  to   work   the  inward   peace  and   tranquillity 

"  of  this  your  majesty's  kingdom ;  mine  own  eon- 
"  science  told  me  that  it  behoved  me  to  give  ready 
"  ear  unto  his  holiness.  Besides  all  this,  the  dis- 
"  eases  and  inconveniences  of  old  age  growing  upon 
"  me,  and  the  sharpness  of  the  cold  air  of  this 
"  country,  and  the  great  want  (I  feel  here  amongst 
"  strangers)  of  some  friends  and  kinsfolks,  which 
"  might  take  more  diligent  and  exact  care  of  me, 
"  make  my  longer  stay  in  this  climate  very  offensive 
"  to  my  body.  Having  therefore  made  an  end  of 
"  my  works,  and  enjoyed  your  majesty's  goodness,  in 
"  bestowing  on  me  all  things  needful  and  fit  for  me, 
"  and  in  heaping  so  many  and  so  royal  benefits 
'*  upon  me,  I  can  do  no  less  than  promise  perpetual 
*'  memory  and  thankfulness,  and  tender  to  you  my 
"  continuance  in  your  majesty's  service  wheresoever 
"  I  go,  and  will  become  in  all  places  a  reporter  and 
"  extoller  of  your  majesty's  praises.  Now  if  my 
"  business  proceed  and  be  brought  to  a  good  end, 
*'  I  well  hope  that  I  shall  obtain  your  majesty's 
"  good  leave  to  depart,  without  the  least  diminution 
"  of  your  majesty's  wonted  favour  towards  me.  I 
"  hear  of  your  majesty's  late  great  danger,  and  con- 
"  gratulate  with  your  majesty  for  your  singular  de- 
"  liverance  from  it  by  God's  great  goodness,  who 
"  hath  preserved  you  safe  from  it,  as  one  most  dear 
*'  unto  Him,  for  the  great  good  of  His  church,  I  hope. 
"  Farewell,  the  glory  and  ornament  of  princes. 
"  Your  majesty's  ever  most  devoted  servant, 

"  Ant.  de  Dominis,  archbishop  of  Spalato. 

"  From  the  Savoy. 
"  Jan.  the  i6th,  1621." 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  517 

To  this  letter  no  present  answer  was  returned,  but  a.  d.  1622. 

10  James. 

five  days  after  the  bishops  of  London"  and  Duresmey,  —■ 

with  the  dean  of  Winchester^  by  his  majesty's  di- 
rection, repaired  to  the  archbishop,  propounding 
unto  him  sixteen  queries^,  all  arising  out  of  his 
former  letter,  and  requiring  him  to  give  the  expla- 
nation of  five  most  material  under  his  hand,  for  his 
majesty's  greater  satisfaction,  which  he  did  accord- 
ingly ;  yet  not  so  clearly  but  that  it  occasioned  a 
second  meeting'',  wherein  more  interrogatories  were 
by  command  propounded  unto  him  ;  which,  with  his 
answers  thereunto,  because  publicly  printed,  are  pur- 
posely omitted ;  and,  notwithstanding  all  obstruc- 
tions, Spalato  still  continued  his  importunity  to 
depart. 

10.  He  pretended  many  reasons  for  his  return :  Reasons 
first,  longing  after  his  own  country:  who  so  iron- his'',.et,ir,"*^ 
hearted  as  not  to  be  drawn  home  with  the  loadstone 
of  his  native  land?  Secondly,  to  see  his  friends, 
kindred,  nephews,  but  especially  his  beloved  niece. 
A  story  hangs  thereon  ;  and  it  is  strange,  what  was 
but  whispered  in  Italy  was  heard  over  so  plain  into 
England  c.  In  the  Hebrew  tongue,  nephews  and 
nieces  are  called  sons  and  daughters,  but  the  Italian 
clergy,  on  the  contrary,  often  term  their  sons  and 
daughters  nephews  and   nieces.      Thirdly,   the  late 

X   [Dr.  George  Montaigne.]  §.  1 1 .  and  note.] 

y   [Dr.  Richard  Neile.]  ^'   [In  his  reply  to  the  Five 

z   [Dr.  John  Yonge.]  Articles,    Feb.    18,    1621,    he 

a   [In  "  Mar.  Ant.  de  Domi-  states    his    desire     to    procure 

"  nis'    Shiftings    in    Religion,"  safety     to     his     nephews    and 

p.  759.     Several  papers  of  in-  nieces,  children  of  his  brother 

terrogatories  were  administered  lately    slain    by    his    enemies. 

to   him.    See   the  above  tract,  Spa).    Shiftings,    p.  67.    "  who 

pp.  31,  60,63.]  "  are  left  without  mother  and 

^  [30th  March,  1622.     See  "  without  government."] 

L  1  3 


518 


The  C/iurch  History 


HOOK    X. 


A.D.  1622 

20  James. 


Spalato's 
second  let- 
ter to  king 
James. 


pretended  discovery  of  many  errors  in  our  English 
cliurch,  (how  quicksighted  did  the  promised  bishop- 
ric make  him,)  whereof  formerly  he  took  no  notice, 
and  all  which  are  learnedly  answered  in  the  posthume 
book  of  doctor  Crakenthorpe,  carefully  set  forth  by 
doctor  Barkham,  after  the  author's  death,  and  may 
all  orphan  works  have  the  happiness  of  so  faithful  a 
guardian •'.  Lastly,  and  chiefly,  (as  he  confesseth 
himself,)  allcctus  pretio  ochiplicis  stipendii,  "  allured 
"  with  the  reward  of  a  salary  eight  times  as  great" 
as  his  revenues  in  England  ;  in  which  computation, 
as  he  ungratefully  depresseth  the  value  of  what  he 
had  in  hand,  so  he  undiscreetly  advanced  the  worth 
of  what  in  hope  he  promised  himself;  not  to  speak 
of  the  difference  of  Italian  ducats,  when  told  out, 
and  when  told  off  at  so  great  a  distance. 

11.  In  ])ursuance  of  which  his  desire,  he  wrote 
a  second  letter  to  king  James ^  ;  the  tenor  whereof 


^  ["  Defensio  Ecclesise  An- 
"  glicanae  contra  M.  Antonii  de 
"  Doniinis  D.  Archiepiscopi 
"  Spalatensis  injurias.  Viri 
"  omni  virtute  doctrinaque 
"  spectatissinii  D.  Rich.  Cra- 
"  kenthorp,  S.T.D.  et  Regiae 
"  M .  nuper  Sacellani  opus  post- 
"  humiim.  A  D.  Johanne 
"  Barkham,  S.T.D.  in  lucem 
"  edituni."  Lond.  40.  1625. 
The  copy,  which  was  presented 
by  the  editor  to  G.  Villiers,  the 
celebrated  duke  of  Bucking- 
ham, is  in  the  library  of  Queen's 
College,  Oxford.] 

^  [Upon  the  archbishoj)'s 
informing  the  Dean  of  Win- 
chester, that  he  hoped  to  have 
the  honour  of  kissing  the  king's 
hands  before  his  departure,  and 
would  for  that  ])urpose  take  a 


journey  even  to  the-  remotest 
part  of  Scotland,  the  king,  who 
beheld  the  archbishop's  conduct 
with  great  indignation,  com- 
manded the  dean  to  let  him 
know,  that  he  would  not  vouch- 
safe to  see  him  if  he  should 
come. 

But  Dr.  Yonge,  who  had  to 
convey  this  information,  that 
he  might  not  hurt  the  arch- 
bishop's feelings,  dissuaded  him 
from  taking  a  journey  to  see 
the  king,  upon  the  ground  that 
he  might  thereby  give  occasion 
to  idle  rumours,  and  so  incur  the 
king's  displeasure.  Spalato's 
Shiftings,  p.  24. 

This  letter  was  written  be- 
fore the  second  conference  men- 
tioned in  §.  9. 

At  this  time  the  archbishop 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  519 

we  thouij^ht  fit  here  to  insert  for  the  better  clearing  a.  d.  162^. 

,  20  James. 

of  the  matter ' :  


"  Most  excellent  prince,  and  most  gracious  lord, 

"  As  I  signified  lately  unto  your  majesty  in  my 
"  former  letters,  I  neither  ought  nor  could  neglect 
"  the  pope's  fair  and  gracious  invitation  of  me ; 
"  especially  when  I  saw  that  he  dealt  with  me  con- 
"  corning  the  service  of  Christ  and  His  church ; 
"  and,  being  now  at  length  better  certified  that 
"  all  things  are  in  a  readiness  for  me,  I  am  tied 
"  to  my  former  promises :  yet  I  make  it  my  humble 
"  request,  that  I  may  take  my  journey  with  your 
"  majesty's  good  will.  And  for  that  purpose,  I  do 
"  now  most  humbly  and  earnestly  crave  your  leave 
"  by  these  letters,  which  I  would  much  more  wil- 
"  lingly  have  begged  by  word  of  mouth  in  your 
"  presence,  (that  I  might  have  parted  with  your 
"  majesty  with  all  due  thanks  and  submission,)  but 
"  that  my  access  to  your  majesty  might  have  con- 
"  firmed  the  vain  and  foolish^  rumours  of  the  peo- 
"  pie.  I  beseech  your  majesty  therefore  to  vouch- 
*'  safe  to  give  me  some  letters  whereby  my  departure 
"  may  be  made  both  safe  and  creditable.  As  for 
"  the  ecclesiastical  titles  and  revenues,  which  I 
"  hold  by  your  majesty's  gift,  I  shall  resign  them 
"  by  public  indentures.      So  from   the  bottom  of 


was    in    custody,    though    un-         f  [Spalato's    Shiftings,    &c. 

known  to  himself.     See  Good-  p.  37.] 

man,  ibid.  p.  348,  whose  infor-  &  Viz.    That   the   king   had 

mation    is    very    correct,    and  employed  Spalato  to  the  pope, 

more   full  than   that  of  other  to  make  a  reconciliation  betwixt 

writers  of  this  period.]  us  and  Rome. 

L  1  4 


520  The  Cfiurcit  Histori/  hook  x. 

io^iameV  "  ^^^  ^eait  1  do  commit  myself  to  your  royal  favour, 

"  and  vow  myself  your  servant  for  ever, 

"  Your  majesty's  most  obedient 

"  always  in  all  things, 
"  M.  Ant.  de  Dominis,  archbishop  of  Spalato. 

*'  London  :   from  the  Savoy, 
"  Feb.  3,  162  1." 

This  letter  produced  new  interrogatories*',  and 
several  fruitful  controversies,  (one  always  begetting 
another,)  but  the  last  was  a  sharp  one  at  Lambeth, 
March  the  30tli,  which  cut  off  all  future  discourse. 
For  a  commission  was  issued  out  to  the  archbishop 
of  Canterbury',  the  bishops  of  Lincoln's  (lord  keeper 
of  the  great  seal  of  England,)  London',  Duresme'", 
Winchester",  and  several  other  privy  councillors, 
before  whom  Spalato  personally  appeared".  When 
the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the  name  of  the 
rest,  by  his  majesty's  special  command,  in  a  long 
Latin  speech,  recapitulated  the  many  misdemeanours 
of  Spalato,  principally  insisting  on  his  changing  of 
religion,  as  appeared  by  his  purpose  of  returning 
to  Rome ;  and  that,  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the 
realm,  he  had  held  correspondency  by  letters  with 
the  pope,  without  the  privity  of  the  king's  majesty. 
To   which   charge,  when   Spalato  had  made  rather 

ii    [Only  an  additional  inter-  1   [George  Montaigne.] 

rogatory  to  a  paper  of  questions  ™    [Richard  Neile.] 

which  he  was   commanded   to  "    [Lanncelot  Andrewes.] 

answer  previous  to  the  king  re-  o   [See     "  the    Act    sped    at 

ceiving  this  letter.   See  them  in  "  Lambeth,  the  30th  of  JMarch, 

Spalato's  Sliiftings,  &c.   pp.  31  "  1622,"  which  gives  the  oiti- 

and  38,  with  his  answers.]  cial  account  of  these  proceed- 

'    [George  Abbot.]  ings,  in  "  Spalato's  Shiftings," 

''   [John  Williams.]  ]t.  79  ] 


CENT.   XVII. 


of  Britnhi. 


.5«1 


a  shuffling  excuse   than   a  just    defence,   the  arch- a. d.  1622. 

bishop,    in     his    majesty's    name,    commanded    him 1 

to  depart  the  kingdom,  at  his  own  peril,  within 
twenty  days,  and  never  to  return  again.  To  this  he 
promised  obedience,  protesting  he  w  oukl  ever  justify 
the  Church  of  England  for  orthodox  in  fundamentals, 
even  in  the  presence  of  the  pope,  or  whomsoever, 
though  with  the  loss  of  his  life?. 


P  [The  following  original  let- 
ter was  written  by  one  present 
on  the  occasion,  and  is  preserv- 
ed in  MSS.  Tan.  Ixxiii.  1 13. 

"  Tif  aSf\(pC!)  <pt\TdT(fj  alsv  apicTTeveic." 

"  Sir, 

"  The  brief  of  our  last  Sa- 
"  turday's  meeting  was  this  : — 

"The  fleeting  Marc  Antonio 
"  appeared  at  the  appointed 
"  hour ;  but  I  may  add,  (that 
"  which  I  found  in  him  at  the 
*'  summons  and  after,)  with  no 
"  small  mistrust  and  fear  of 
"  being  used  as  he  knew  him- 
"  self  to  deserve,  viz.  to  be 
"  committed  to  prison.  Qui 
"  timet  docet.  And  so  I  told 
'•  him,  and  he  should  have 
"  cause  to  use  such  thoughts 
"  when  he  came  in  manus  Ro- 
"  vKuias.  But  at  Lambeth  he 
"  found  a  better  issue  than  his 
"  own  guilt  suggested.  There 
"  were  about  twelve  especially 
"  appointed  by  the  king  to  sig- 
"  nify  his  pleasure  ;  Episc. 
"  Cant.  Lincoln.  Winton.  Du- 
"  nelm.  D^i  Hobard,  Jul.  Cae- 
"  sar.  Secretary  Calvert,  et  alii. 

"  My  lord's  grace  spoke  to 
"  him  no7n.  colh'gionim.  First, 
"  That  Spalatens.  having  some 
"  months  since  discovered  to 
"  the  kins  his  intention  to  re- 


turn into  Italy,  and  asking  his 
majesty's  leave  to  that  pur- 
pose, his  majesty  did  now  ap- 
point to  give  him  his  answer  ; 
but  first  would  have  Spalat. 
satisfy   his   majesty    in    two 
points.        I.   How    he    could 
with  his  fidelity  to  the  king 
treat  with  the  pope  without 
making  the  king  acquainted 
therewith.    2.  How  he  could 
with  a  good  conscience  return 
to   that    place    and    religion 
which  he  had  with  such  ex- 
pression of  zeal  and  copious 
writings  opposed  and  refuted. 
"  He  answered  ad  prim  inn, 
that  though  the  pope  had  of- 
fered by  mediation  of  some 
friends  some  fair  invitations 
for  his  return,  yet  he  in  the 
beginning   did   not  listen  to 
them,   but  suspected  it  was 
'  rather  a  train  to  deceive  or 
'  delude  him  ;    but  as  soon  as 
he  found   that  it    was  truly 
'  meant,    and  so  yielded  some 
'  assent,  he  without  delay  ac- 
■  quainted  the  king,  and  never 
'  assented    but    conditionally'. 
'  if  the  king  would  give  leave, 
'  in   which  condition   he   still 
'  persisted. 

•'  Ad  2'im.  That  he  never 
'  changed  his  religion,  for  both 
'  are  one  religion,  fan/inii  dif- 


522 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A. D. 1622 
20  James. 

Dejsirts  in 
vain  still  to 
stay. 


12 

and 


no 


However,  loth  to  depart  was  his  last  tune*i ; 
wonder,    if  well    considering    whence  and 


"  fernnt  in  quibusdavi  acciden- 
"  tallbus  et  circum.sianiiis;  and 
"  that  he  never  left  Italy  for 
"  scru])le  of  conscience  in  reli- 
"  gion,  but  that  he  might  have 
"  liberty  to  publish  the  truth 
"  in  his  books.  Hereto  my 
"  lord's  grace  replied,  that  in 
"  his  manifesto  published  at  his 
"  first  entrance  he  professed 
"  otherwise  ;  viz. 

"  Meum  m  loci  mutalioiie  di- 
"  vinam  esse  vocationem  non 
"  hinnanam  nuUo  modo  possum 
"  aut  debeo  ambigere, 

"  Inventa  avaritice  et  ambiti- 
"  onis  pro  Sanctis  fidei  dogma- 
"  tibus  Roma  obtruduntur. 

"  Quid  facer  em  amplius  in 
"  medio  nationis  pravce  atque 
' '  perverscE  ? 

"  Omnes  episcopi  sub  Ronui- 
"  no  simul  cum  Duce  ad  prceci- 
"  pitium  properant. 

"  Profeclionem  meam,  sive 
"  etiam  ex  Babylone  exittim, 
"  Sfc. 

"  Fugio  errores,  fugio,  ne 
"  pnriiceps  sim  delictorum  ejus, 
"  et  de  plagis  ejus  accipiam. 

"  How  then  is  Rome,  that 
"  was  then  Babylon,  when  you 
*'  came  hither,  now  become 
"  Sion  ? 

"  To  this  he  answered  {satis 
"  impudenter)  ;  that  his  lesser 
"  treatises  were  AATitten  popii- 
"  lariter,  non  dogmatice,  and 
'*  had  many  rhetorical  amplifi- 
"  cations  in  them  which  are  not 
"  to  be  enforced  to  the  utmost. 
"  But  in  his  large  volumes  T)e 
"  rep.  Eccles.  he  did  more  re- 
"  solutely  and  expressly  set 
"  down  his  judgment.       Item, 


"  That  he  wrote  his  manifesto 
"  in  the  time  of  pope  Paul  V. 
"  but  now  in  this  pope's  time 
"  he  hath  very  great  hope  of 
"  much  reformation  and  a- 
"  mendment  of  abuses,  he  being 
"  a  very  pious  man. 

"  O  versipellem  Jesuitam!  cui 
"  religio  et  conscientia  nil  est 
"  aliud  quavi  Trpoo-wTretoi/. 

"  He  was  particidarly  asked 
''  to  acknowledge  certain  an- 
"  swers  in  writing,  which  he 
"  made  to  the  king,  upon  some 
"  demands  a  little  after  his 
"  first  disclosing  this  intention. 
"  These  his  papers  he  acknow- 
"  ledged,  and  also,  upon  a  fresh 
"  demand,  professed  his  works 
"  printed  in  England  to  be  his 
"  own,  and  that  he  would  never 
"  deny  them  whatsoever  should 
"  become  of  him.  In  the  end, 
"  my  lord's  grace  signified  to 
•'  him  the  king's  resolution ; 
"  viz.  that  because  he  had  much 
"  wronged  our  king  in  this 
"  clandestine  consulting  for  de- 
"  parture  hence,  where  he  was 
"  so  well  entertained  by  his 
"  majesty,  and  scandalized  our 
"  religion  and  people  with  thus 
"  revolting  from  us,  the  king 
"  (instead  of  giving  him  his  de- 
"  sired  free  license  to  depart) 
"  doth  will  and  command  him, 
"  upon  peril,  within  twenty 
'•  days  from  that  inst.  to  depart 
"  out  of  England,  and  out  of 
"  all  his  majesty's  dominions, 
"  never  to  return  again  to  any 
"  of  them.  Whereto  he  an- 
''  swered  that  he  would  obey, 
"  and  protested  in  fide  honi 
"  viri  sc  quoquo  deveneril  om- 


CKNT.  XVII. 


<>f  Britain. 


523 


whither  he  went.     He  left  a  land  where  he  lacked  a.  d.  1622, 

nothing,  but   a  thankful  heart  to  God  and  a  con- '- 

tented  soul  in  himself.  He  went  to  a  place  of 
promise,  suspicious  whether  ever  it  should  be  ])er- 
formed.  He  feared  (not  without  cause)  he  might 
lose  his  grey  head  to  fetch  a  red  hat :  and  an 
ominous  instance  was  lately  set  before  his  eyes. 
One  Fulgentius,  a  minorite,  had  inveighed  at  Venice 
against  the    pope,   and    was  by    his  nuncio  trained 


"  nia  qucE  possel  officia  prcp- 
"  stiturum  regi  et  ecclesice  An- 
"  glicuiice.  And  so  soluto  con- 
"  veutu,  he  departed  out  of 
"  Lambeth  house,  without  any 
"  attendance  but  his  own  ser- 
"  vants  ;  and  when  he  went  to 
"  take  water,  the  watermen 
"  standing  by  would  not  veile 
"  bonnets  to  him.  Now  he 
"  packeth  up,  and  as  I  hear, 
"  will  be  gone  next  week.  To 
*'  comment  upon  this  scene  of 
"  catastrophe  were  louga  iiij'ii- 
"  ria,  longcp.  (nxhages.  When 
"  we  meet  I  shall  tell  you  some 
"  more  particulars  of  his  more 
'*  science  than  conscience. 

"  Dr.  Beaumont  shall  be  dean 
"  of  Windsor,  and  a  new  pre- 
"  bendary  shall  be  in  his  stead 
"  crowded  in  before  the  rever- 
"  sioners.  Quod  illos  mordct. 
"  Yesterday  the  emperor's  am- 
"  bassador  arrived  at  Somerset 
"  house.         "  Vale, 

"  Vester, 
"  Tho.  Goad. 

"Lambeth.  Raptiin. 
"  April  5,  1622. 

"  I  pray  you  remember  my 
"  duty  and  love  to  our  lord 
"  Sarum  :  your  shewing  his 
"  lordship  this  letter  will  sup- 


"  ply  my  not  writing  to  him 
"  now.  This  day  Dr.  Wineff 
"  made  a  very  elegant  and  free 
"  sermon  in  Whitehall  chapel. 
"  But  speaking  of  the  invasion 
"  of  our  souls  bv  the  devil,  he 
"  did  illustrate  it  with  a  coin- 
"  parison  of  Spinola's  invading 
"  the  Palatinate,  and  the  rescue 
"  of  them  he  assured  because 
"  we  have  a  king  (i.e.  dean .'') 
"  who  hath  promised  not  to 
"  suffer  any  of  his  children's 
"  inheritance  to  be  utterly  with- 
"  held.  Hoc  chciro  emit.  For 
"  at  noon  he  was  discharged 
"  from  the  prince's  service. 

"  Item,    In    his    sermon    he 
"  spared  not  adulatores  clericos 
"  and  neutralizers,  &c. 
(addressed) 

"  To  the  right  worshipful 
"  IMr.  Dr.  Ward,  master  of  Syd- 
"  ney  College  in  Cambridge." 

Dr.  Goad  "  had  conversed 
"  inwardly  with  him  ever  since 
"  his  coming  into  this  king- 
"  dom,"  and  was  appointed,  in 
Feb.  19,  1621  =  1622,  to  have 
a  conference  with  him  touching 
schism.  The  doctor's  own  ac- 
count of  it  is  published  in  Spa- 
lato's  Shiftings,  j).  •ji.'] 

•1  [See  Crakenthorpe's  Def. 
p.  3^0 


to  Rome. 


524  The  Church  Hi.sto/y/  book  x. 

A.i).  i62j.to    Rome    on     promise     of    safe    conduct;     where, 

^  being-  favoured    and   feasted  at   first,   soon  after  in 

the  field  of  Flora  he  was  burnt  to  ashes.  This 
made  Spalato  effectually,  but  secretly,  to  deal  with 
his  friends  in  the  English  court,  that  his  majesty 
would  permit  him  to  stay''.  But  in  vain  ;  and  there- 
fore, within  the  time  ajjpointed,  he  went  over  in 
the  same  shij)  with  count  Swartzenburgh,  the  em- 
peror's ambassador,  returning  hence  into  Flanders ^ 
Departeth  13.  And  uow  Spalato  is  shipped*;  a  good  wind 
and  fair  weather  go  after  him :  his  sails  shall  not  be 
stuffed  with  a  blast  of  my  curses,  conceiving  that  his 
fault  was  sufficient  punishment.  But  "others  have 
compared  him  to  the  house,  swept  and  garnished^,  to 
which  the  devil  returned  with  seven  spirits  more 
wicked  than  himself,  which  they  thus  reckon  up ; 
avarice,  ambition,  and  hypocrisy,  whilst  he  stayed 
here  ;  apostasy  and  j)erjury  when  going  hence  ;  in- 
gratitude and  calumny  when  returned  to  Rome. 
Yea,  they  find  as  many  punishments  lighting  on 
him :  God  angry  with  him ;  the  devil  tormenting 
him  ;  his  conscience  corroding  him  ;  the  world  curs- 
ing him ;  the  true  church  disdaining  him ;  Protest- 
ant pens  confuting  him ;  and  the  pope,  at  last, 
in  revenge,  executing  him.  And  now  the  master 
hath  had  the  just  shame  for  his  apostasy,  let  the 
man  receive  the  due  jiraise  of  his  perseverance  :  one 
Gio  Pietro  Paravicino,  a  Grison,  who  waited  on 
Spalato  in  his  chamber,  whom  neither  frights   nor 

»■    [The  same  is  stated  in  the  p.  103.] 

Jotters   of    archbishop    Abbot,  *   [i8th  April.] 

j)ublished   in    sir   Thos.    Roe's  "   Dr.  Barkham  in  his  Dedi- 

Nej^ociations ;     but    does     not  catory  Epistle  to  king  James, 

seem  probable.]  ^   Matt.  xii.  44. 

s  I  Hacket's  Lifeof  Williams, 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Bntaiii. 


525 


flatteries  could   remove,   but  he  died  in   Holland  a  a.  d.  1622. 

n  ,.  (»    1       T-»  1  •     •  ^°  James. 

firm  professor  or  the  Protestant  religion.  

14.  Being  come   to  Brussels,   he  recants  his   re- Returns  to 

.  .11.  1         T^        !•   1       1  11    '^^**  railing 

ligion,  and  rails  bitterly  on  the  English  church,  call- vomit, 
ing  his  coming  hither  an  unhappy,  irrational,  pesti- 
ferous, devilish  voyage',  to  which  he  was  moved  with 
sickness  of  soul,  impatience,  and  a  kind  of  phrensy 
of  anger^.    Here  he  stayed  six  months  for  the  pope's 


y  In  his  book  called  Consi- 
lium Reditus,  p.  6.  ["  Marcus 
"  Antonius  de  Dominis  Archi- 
"  episc.  Spalaten.  sui  Reditus 
"  ex  Anglia  Consilium  exponit. 
"  Romae,  ex  typographia  Rev. 
"  Camerae  Apostolicse,  1623. 
"  Super iorum  Permissu,"  4". 
Translated  at  length  with  the 
following  title  :  "  M.  Antonius 
"  de  Dominis,  Archbishop  of 
"  Spalato,  declares  the  Cause  of 
"  his  Return  out  of  England. 
"  Translated  out  of  the  Latin 
"  Copy,  printed  at  Rome  this 
"  present  Year,"  &c.  Perm.  Su- 
periorum,  1623,  12°.  But  the 
English  translation  contains  an 
address  to  the  reader  not  found 
in  the  Latin,  reflecting  severely 
on  De  Dominis. 

This  I  have  no  doubt  is  the 
spurious  publication  to  which 
bishop  Cosin  refers  in  a  pre- 
vious note.] 

z  Ibid.  p'.  4.  [This  Consili- 
um Reditus  was,  according  10 
Hacket,  written  in  prison  ;  who 
further  gives  us  the  following 
account  of  this  unfortunate 
man.  "  Sir  Edward  Sackville," 
(who  shortly  succeeded  his  bro- 
ther Richard  in  the  earldom  of 
Dorset,)  "  was  at  Rf)nie,  anno 
"  1624,  and  had  welcome  given 
"  him  with  much  civility  in  the 
"  English    college,   so  far   that 


he  presumed  to  ask,  rather 
out  of  curiosity  than  love,  to 
see  this  prisoner  De  Dominis. 
Mr.  T.  Fitzherbert,  the  rec- 
tor, did  him  the  observance 
to  go  with  him  to  the  jail. 
He  found  him  shut  up  in 
a  ground  chamber,  narrow 
and  dark  ;  for  it  looked  upon 
a  great  wall,  which  was  as 
near  unto  it  as  the  breadth 
of  three  spaces.  Some  slight 
forms  beingpassed  over  which 
used  to  be  in  all  visits,  says 
sir  Edward :  '  My  lord  of 
Spalato,  you  have  a  dark 
lodging :  it  Avas  not  so  with 
you  in  England.  There  you 
had  Windsor,  as  good  a  pro- 
spect by  land  as  was  in  all 
the  country;  and  at  the  Sa- 
voy you  had  the  best  pro- 
spect upon  the  water  that 
was  in  all  the  city.'  '  I  have 
forgot  those  things,*  says  the 
bishop,  '  here  I  can  but  con- 
template the  kingdom  of 
Sir  Edward,  tak- 
Fitzherbert  aside 
into  the  next  room  :  '  Sir,' 
says  he,  '  tell  me  honestly, 
do  you  think  this  man  is  em- 
ployed in  the  contemplation 
of  heaven  ? '  Says  the  father 
rector,  'I  think  nothing  less; 
for  he  was  a  malecontent 
knave  when  he  fled  from  us, 


heaven, 
ing    Mr. 


5^6  Tltv  Church  History  book  x. 

^^Q^^J^^;-- breve,   wliicli  was   long  a   coming,   and  at  last  was 

utterly  denied  him ;  insomuch  that  Spalato  was  fain 

to  run  the  hazard,  and  desperately  adventure  to 
Rome,  having  nothing  in  scriptis  for  his  security, 
but  barely  presuming  on  promises,  and  the  friend- 
ship of  Gregory  the  fifteenth,  now  pope,  formerly 
his  colleague  and  chamber-fellow. 
Livesat  15,  I  find   uot   liis   iiromisod  bishopric  conferred 

Rome  not 

loved,  and  upou  him;  who  as  well  might  have  been  made 
mented.^'  pi'imato  and  metropolitan  of  terra  incognita.  Yea, 
returning  to  Sodom  (though  not  turned  into  a  pillar 
of  salt)  he  became  unsavourably  salt,  cared  for  of 
no  side.  Such  a  crooked  stick,  which  had  bowed  all 
ways,  was  adjudged  unfit  to  make  a  beam,  or  rafter, 
either  in  popish  or  protestant  church.  And  now, 
what  would  not  make  timber  to  build  must  make 
fuel  to  burn,  to  M^hich  end  he  came  at  last.  But 
for  some  years  he  lived  at  Rome,  on  a  jjension 
which  pope  Gregory  assigned  him  out  of  his  own 
revenues'^  until  there  arose  a  new  pope,  who  never 
knew  Spalato,  (with  the  least  knowledge  of  appro- 
bation,) viz.  Urban  the  eighth,  brought  in  by  the 
antifaction  of  the  French.  He  finding  his  revenue 
charged  with  a  pension  paid  to  his  adversary,  (thrift 

"  ti  railing  knave  while  he  lived  "  hope  of  his  life  and  fortunes, 

"  with  you,  and  a  motley  parti-  "  expired  July  8,  1623,  S.  N." 

"coloured    knave    now   he    is  Life  of  Williams,  p.  loi.     His 

"come    again.'       This    is  the  sickness  was  probably  known  to 

"  relation  which  that  honour-  Spalato  before  he  left  England, 

"  able  person  made  in    1625,  but  he   hoped   that  his  friend 

"  which  I  heard  him   utter  in  cardinal    Mellino    would    have 

"  the  hearing  of  no  mean  ones."  succeeded    instead    of    Urban 

Life  of  Williams,  p.  104.]  VIIL,  and  indeed  his  chances 

a  [That   cannot  be,  for,    as  of   success    were    very    great. 

Hacket  observes,  "  this  renego  And  this  may  in  some  degree 

"  sailed  from  our  ports  in  the  account  for  this  pope's  severity 

"  end  of  April,  arrived  at  Rome  towards  Spalato,  the  friend  of 

"  in  .Tune;  and  this  pope,  the  his  rival.] 


CENT.  XVII.  (tf  Britain.  527 

is  a  flower  even  in  the  triple  crown,)  prohibits  the  a.  d.  16:2. 

/..  ..  (,     ■,  XT'  •!•         20  James. 

ruture  issunig  out  or  tlie  same.     His  pension  being 

stopped,  Spalato's  mouth  is  open,  and  passionately 
discoursoth  reputed  heresy  in  several  companies. 

16.  There   was   residing  at    Rome    one   cardinal  cardinal 

OlGStjI's  11  G~ 

Clesel,  a  high  German,  betwixt  whom  and  Spalato  elected 
formerly  great  familiarity,  whilst  Clesel  was  the  dermictlve 
pope's  legate  de  latere  with  the  emperor  at  Vienna,  ^  ^v^^^^- 
where  Spalato  negotiated  business  for  the  state  of 
Venice.  This  cardinal  expected  Spalato's  applica- 
tions unto  him  after  he  was  returned  to  Rome, 
which  he  refused,  being  (belike)  too  high  in  the 
instep,  or  rather  too  stiff  in  the  knees,  to  bow  to 
beg  a  kindness.  Clesel,  perceiving  his  amity  made 
contemptible,  resolved  to  make  his  enmity  consider- 
able; yet,  dissembling  friendship  for  the  better  op- 
portunity of  revenge,  he  invites  Spalato  to  supper ; 
and,  a  train  of  discourse  being  laid  at  a  liberal  meal, 
Spalato  is  as  free  in  talking  as  in  eating,  and  lets 
fall  this  expression,  that  (though  divers  had  en- 
deavoured it)  no  catholic  had  as  yet  answered  his 
books,  "  De  Republica  Ecclesiastica,"  but  added 
moreover,  that  he  himself  was  able  to  answer  them. 
Presently  his  person  is  clapped  into  prison,  his  study 
seized  on,  wherein  many  papers  were  found  speaking- 
heresy  enough,  his  adversaries  being  admitted  sole 
interpreters  thereof^. 

17.  As  for  his  death,  some  months  after,  some  Spalato's 
say  he  was  stifled,  others  strangled,  others  stal)bed,  after  his 
others   starved,   others    poisoned,   others    smothered ''''^''^' 

b   [He   was  shut  uj)  in  the  where  is  given  the  substance  of 

inquisition,  where  the  task  was  several   papers   respecting;  An- 

imposed  upon  him  of  confuting  tonio  de  Doniinis,  preserved  in 

his  own  works.       See  Dalrvni-  the  Advocates'  Libraryat  Edin- 

ple's   INIem.  of  Jas.  I.    p.    145.  burgh.] 


528  Thf  Church  History  book  x. 

A.n.  1622.  to  death  ;  but  my  intelligence,  from  his  own  kindred 
— '. — -  at  Venice,  informs  me  that  he  died  a  natural  death, 
adding  moreover,  7ion  sine  prcEveniente  gratia,  "  not 
"  without  God's  preventing  grace;"  for  had  his  life 
been  longer,  his  death  had  been  more  miserable. 
"  Yea,"  they  say,  "  the  pojie  sent  four  of  his  sworn 
"  physicians  to  recognise  his  corpse,  who,  on  their 
"  oath,  deposed  that  no  impression  of  violence  was 
"  visible  thereon."  However,  after  his  death  his 
excommunicated  corpse  was  put  to  public  shame, 
and  solemnly  proceeded  against  in  the  inquisition, 
for  relapsing  into  heresy  since  his  return  to  Rome<=. 
His  kindred  were  summoned  to  appear  for  him,  if 
they  pleased,  but  durst  not  plead  for  a  dead  man, 
for  fear  of  infection  of  the  like  punishment  on  them- 
selves. Several  articles  of  heresy  are  charged  upon 
him,  and  he,  found  convict  thereof,  is  condemned 
to  have  his  body  burnt  by  the  public  executioner 
in  the  field  of  Flora,  which  Mas  performed  accord- 
ingly.    Such  honour  have  all  apostates^  ! 

c   [See    "A    Relation    sent  him  be  genuine.  (Dalrymple,  p. 

"from   Rome,  of  the  process,  147.)   "But  because  his  con  ver- 

"  sentence,  and  execution  done  "  sion  was  feigned,"  to  use  the 

"  upon  the  body,  &c.  of  Mar-  wordsof  the  narrative  sent  from 

"  cus  Ant.  de  Dominis,  arch-  Rome,  "  and   not  sincere  and 

"  bishop   of  Spalato,  after  his  "  from  his  hearty  he  began  in  fa- 

"  death."    London.    1624.   4°.  "  miliar  discourse  tobreak  forth 

reprinted    in    Somers'    Tracts,  "  into  most  grievous  heresies, 

vol.  ii.   p.  30.      Dalrymple,   p.  "  and  to  maintain  whatsoever  he 

140.]  "  said  to  be  true."   According- 

d   [It  appears  that  upon  his  ly  he  was  proceeded  against  by 

return    to   the    continent    that  the  inquisition,  but  died  before 

the    archbishop    was    received  the    process    was     completed, 

with  great  favour  by  the  pope.  Sentence,  however,  having  been 

and  treated  with  distinguished  given    against   him,    his   body, 

marks  of  honour,  for  he  himself  picture,  and  books,  were  carried 

describes  his  reception  with  a  into    Campo   de    Fiore,  where 

great  deal  of  vanity  and  exult-  they    were    straightway  burnt, 

ation,  if  the  pajiers  attributed  to  Dalrymple,  p.  141-4.J 


CENT.  xvn. 


of  Britain. 


529 


18.  We  must  not  forget  that  Spalato  (T  am  confi- 
dent I  am  not  mistaken  therein)  was  the  first,  who, 
professing-  himself  a  Protestant,  used  the  word  Pu- 
ritan, to  signify  the  defenders  of  matters  doctrinal 
in  the  English  church.  Formerly  the  word  was 
only  taken  to  denote  such  as  dissented  from  the 
hierarchy  in  discipline  and  church  government,  which 
now  was  extended  to  brand  such  as  were  anti-Ar- 
minians  in  their  judgments.  As  Spalato  first  abused 
the  word  in  this  sense,  so  we  could  wish  he  had 
carried  it  away  with  him  in  his  return  to  Rome  ; 
whereas  now  leaving  the  word  behind  him  in  this 
extensive  signification  thereof,  it  hath  since  by 
others  been  improved  to  asperse  the  most  orthodox 
in  doctrine  and  religious  in  conversation^ 


A.l).  1622. 

;o  James. 

Tlie  wonl 
Puritan, 
how  first 
abused  by 
Spalato. 


^  [This,  as  I  have  observed, 
is  one  reason  why  Fuller  and 
those  of  the  same  party  exag- 
gerated the  failings  of  Antonio 
de  Dominis.  Men  in  general 
were  much  scandalized  and  dis- 
appointed upon  Spalato's  reso- 
lution to  return  to  Rome,  upon 
whose  proselytism  they  set  by 
far  too  high  a  value.  But 
Usher,  Ward  and  Davenant 
had  another  cause  of  dislike,  in 
the  archbishop's  opposition  to 
the  Calvinistic  school.  And  it 
is  not  improbable  that  Fuller 
derived  this  account  of  De  Do- 
minis from  his  uncle,  bishop 
Davenant.  The  following  is 
D.  Barwick's  account  of  his 
reasons  for  returning,  and  is 
far  more  mild  and  temperate 
than  Fuller's :  "  The  arch- 
"  bishop's  pretence  was  very 
"  plausible  and  commendable/' 
"  (and  how  real  he  was  in  itmust 
"  be  left  to   God,)  namely,  to 

FULLER,    VOL.  V. 


negotiate  a  unity  in  religion 
between  the  Church  of  Rome 
and  the  Church  of  England, 
upon  those  moderate  grounds 
which  he  had  laid  down  and 
so  well  defended  in  his  learn- 
ed and  laborious  works  print- 
ed here  at  London.  He  ap- 
plauded himself  in  the  excel- 
lency of  the  work,  in  remov- 
ing the  schism  ;  and  of  the 
honour  in  becoming  a  repairer 
of  the  breach,  and  of  the  re- 
ward which  is  promised  to 
the  peacemakers.  And  he 
thought  himself  the  more 
likely  to  go  through  with  his 
work  by  reason  of  the  season, 
able  opportunity  he  had  at 
that  time,  when  Gregory  XV. 
was  newly  chosen  pope,  who 
had  been  of  his  old  and  inti- 
mate acquaintance,  brought 
up  in  the  same  school  and 
college  with  him.  And  how- 
ever he  was  resolved  to  make 

M  m 


530  The  C /lurch  Historij  book  x. 

A. D.  1622.      19.  He  was  of  a  comely  personage,  tall  stature, 

20  James.  ,  ,  p   •      i  n 

grey  beard,  grave  countenance,  ran-  language,  liuent 

His  unpar-  "  .  i  i    i  •  i  1  • 

tiaicharac-  exprcssion,  somcwliat  abdonnnous,  and  corpulent  ni 
his  body.  Of  so  imperious  and  domineering  spirit, 
that  (as  if  the  tenant  were  the  landlord)  though  a 
stranger,  he  offered  to  control  the  archbishoj)  of 
Canterbury  in  his  own  house.  An  excellent  preacher, 
(every  first  Sunday  in  the  month  to  the  Italian  nation 
at  JNIercers'  chapel,)  as  his  sermon  called  scopleos^, 
or  the  rocks,  doth  plentifully  witness,  wherein  he 
demonstrates,  That  all  the  errors  of  the  Roman 
church  proceed  from  their  pride  and  covetousness. 
And  (under  the  rose  be  it  spoken)  if  the  great  ship 
of  Rome  split  itself  on  these  rocks,  Spalato  his  own 
pinnace  made  shipwreck  of  the  faiths  on  the  same, 
which  were  his  bosom  sins.  In  a  word,  he  had 
too  much  wit  and  learning  to  be  a  cordial  papist, 
and  too  little  honesty  and  religion  to  be  a  sincere 
Protestant '\ 

"  an    attempt,    because    if    he  "  stin    enini  concilmm   Triden- 

"  failed    in    it,    he    hoped    he  "  timim.      Spal.   Novi  domine, 

"  should  lose  nothing  but  his  "  id  ausits  sum  iibidicere,  mil- 

"  labour.  While    he    was  "  lies  mille sunt ,  eliamin  Italia, 

"  swelled  up  full  with  this  pro-  "  qui  hide  concilio Jidem  vullam 

"  mise   and    these    hopes,    the  "  adhihent."     Life  of  JMorton, 

"  bishop  of  Lichfield  and  Co-  p.  86.     See  also  Racket's  Life 

"  ventry,  [Dr. Morton,]  coming  of  Williams,  p.  102.       Bedell, 

"  to  visit  him,  had  this  ensuing  bishop    of    Kilmore,   seems  to 

"  discourse  with  him,  which  1  have    entertained    a    more    fa- 

"  have  often  heard  him  repeat  A-ourable  opinion  of  him,  if  we 

"with    pleasure.      Lich.    Do-  may  judge  from  the  life  written 

"  7nine  quid  tibi  in  animo  est  •'  by  his  son,  and  now  preserved 

"  anne  cunvertere  papam,  atque  in  IMS.  in  the  Bodleian.] 
"  etiam  conclave  papule?  Sp Ah.  f  ["  Scogli     del     Chrisliano 

"  Quid  ni  domine  ?    anne  exis-  "  Naufragio,"    see  his   Consil. 

"  timas  eos  diabolos  esse,  lit  non  Redditus,  p.  9.] 
"  possint  converti?    hicn.  Mi-  S   i  Tim.  i.  19. 

"  nime  domine;    nee  piito  do-  h   [The  writer  of  a  pamphlet 

"  minum  Spalalensem  deum  es-  written  on  occasion  of  the  fatal 

"  se,ut  hoc  possit  i)r(Bstare.  No-  Vespers    at      Blackfriars      in 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  531 

20.  About   the   same   time   three   other   Italians  ad.  1622. 

made   their   escape   into   England.      One,  Antonio, '- 

(as  I  take  it,  a  Capuchin,)  who  here  married  a  wife,  itakn 
and  was  beneficed  in  Essex.     The  other  two,  Beiie-'"^^'®''''' 
dictines,  living,  the  one  with  the  archbishoj)  of  Can- 
terbury, the  other  with  the  archbishop  of  York.     All 

these  three  were  neither  good  dough  nor  good  bread, 
but  like  Ephmim,  a  cake  not  turned\  though  they 
pretended  to  true  conversion.  The  first  of  these, 
being  kin  to  Spinola,  the  Low  Country  general,  was 
by  him  (on  what  terms  I  know  not)  trained  over 
and  reconciled  to  Rome.  The  other  two  (only  rack- 
ing, no  thoroughpaced  Protestants)  watched  their 
opportunity  to  run  away.  Yet  let  not  this  breed 
in  us  a  jealousy  of  all  Italian  converts,  seeing  Ver- 
gerius,  Peter  Martyr,  Emanuel  Tremellius,  &c.  may 
reconcile  us  to  a  good  opinion  of  them,  and  to  be- 
lieve, that  God  hath  a  few  names  even  iii  Sardis^, 
where  the  throne  of  the  beast  is  erected.  And 
indeed,  Italian  converts,  like  Origen,  where  they 
do  well,  none  better  ;  where  ill,  none  worse. 

21.  All  men's  mouths  were  now  filled  with  dis- The  Span- 

ish matcli 

course  of  prince  Charles  his  match  with  donna  Maria,  the  dis- 
the    infanta    of   Spaing       The   Protestants    grieved ^erd.^ ^^ 

1 623,  speaks  of  the  archbishop's  1   [Much  asthe  Spanish  match 

manner  in  the  pulpit,  and  that  was  disrelished,  it  would  have 

he  had  "  known  some  preachers  been  one  of  the  most  advanta- 

"  to  commend  that  counterfeit  geous  strokes  of  jiolicy  for  this 

"  Spalato  amongst  us,  who  in  nation  could  it  have  been  ef- 

"  his  warmness  hath  been  very  fected.     That     designing    and 

"  graceful  in  the  pulpit,  as  I  ambitious  men  should  have  en- 

"  myself   can    witness    in    the  deavoured  to  embroil  the  nation 

"  Mercers'  chapel  in  London,"  in  a  war  mth  Sjiain  is  not  sur- 

p.  22.     See    the    title    of   this  prising,  since  this  was  the  policy 

])amphlet  at  length,  §.  29.]  of  the  houses  of  parliament  dur- 

i  Hosea  vii.  8.  ing  the  reigns  of  the  Stuarts, 

^   Revel,  iii.  J..  in  order  to  make  the  king  more 

M  m  2 


532  The  CInirch  History  book  x. 

A. D.  1622.  thereat,   fearing   that   this   marriage   wouki   be   the 

'. — 11  funerals  of  their   religion  ;    and  their  jealousies  so 

descanted  thereon,  that  they  suspected,  if  taking 
effect,  more  water  of  Tiber  than  Thames  would  run 
under  London  bridge.  The  church  catholics  grew 
insolent  thereat,  and  such,  who  formerly  had  a  pope 
in  their  belly,  shewed  him  now  in  their  tongues 
and  faces,  avouching  their  religion,  which  they  con- 
cealed before.  Yet  at  last  this  match  (so  probable) 
brake  off;  Heaven  forbidding  the  banns,  even  at 
the  third  and  last  asking  thereof. 
Gondomar  22.  Couut  Gondomar  was  the  active  instrument 
the  enlarge,  to  advauco  this  match "",  who  so  carried  himself  in 
Jesuits.  ^  the  twilight  of  jest-earnest,  that  with  his  jests  he 
pleased  his  majesty  of  England,  and  with  his  earnest 
he  pleasured  his  master  of  Spain.  Having  found  out 
the  length  of  king  James's  foot,  he  fitted  him  with 

dependent  upon  them,  and  so  "  tise  about  the  Spanish  miitcli 

advance  their  own  power.  "  was  the  breeze  that  bit  them 

Hacket,  in  his  amusing  way,  "  and  made  them  wild.      That 

describes  the  tirades  which  were  "  was  such  a  bugbear,  that  at  the 

launched  from   the   pulpits  of  "  motion  of  it  some  that  were 

the  puritanical  divines  against  "  conscientious,  and  some  that 

the   Spanish  match  :     "  There  "  seemed  so,  thought  that  the 

"  were  divines,"  he  says,  "more  "  true  worship  of  God  was  a 

"  satirical  than  gospel-spirited,  "  shipboard  and  sailing  out  of 

"  chieriy  some  among  the  lee-  "  the    realm,    &c."      He    then 

"  turers  in  populous  auditories  contrasts  the  conduct  of  these 

"  that    Avere    much    overseen,  inconsistent   zealots   upon  the 

"  Bending      their      discourses  occasion  of  the  French  match. 

"  either  under  the  line  or  above  The  whole  passage  is  admirably 

"  the    line    against    the    quiet  descriptive  of  the  insolencies  of 

"  settlement  of  present  govern-  these     ecclesiastical     mounte- 

"  ment.   Some  carried  their  fire  banks.  Lifeof  Williams,  p.  86.] 
"  in  dark  lanterns,  and  deplored         "^  [See  Howell's  Letters,  pp. 

"the  dangers  that  hung  over  116,    119.    ed.   1726.       If  his 

"  us.      Some   railed   outright,  protestations  may  be  trusted, 

*'  and  carried  the  brand's  end  Gondomar  was  very  earnest  for 

"  openly  in  their  mouth  to  kin-  the  match.] 
"  die  combustion. —  The  trea- 


CENT.  XVII.  ()f  Britdin.  533 

SO  easy  a  shoe,  which  i)aiiiecl  liim  not,  (no,  not  when-^i^- 1^^^. 

•'  '  ^  20  James. 

he  was  troubled  with  the  gout,)  this  cunning  don ■ 

being  able  to  please  him  in  his  greatest  passion. 
And  although  the  match  was  never  effected,  yet 
Gondomar,  whilst  negotiating  the  same  in  favour  to 
the  catholic  cause,  procured  of  his  majesty  the  en- 
largement of  all  priests  and  Jesuits  through  the 
English  dominions. 

23.  The  actions  of  princes  are  subject  to  be  cen- a  malicious 

,,  ,  ,  ,  comment  on 

sured,  even  or  such  people  who  reap  the  greatest  a  merciful 
benefit  thereby,  as  here  it  came  to  pass.  These 
Jesuits,  when  at  liberty,  did  not  gratefully  ascribe 
their  freedom  to  his  majesty's  mercy,  but  only  to 
his  willingness  to  rid  and  clear  his  gaols  over-pes- 
tered with  ])risoners ;  as  if  his  majesty,  if  so  minded, 
could  not  have  made  the  gallows  the  besom  to  sweep 
the  gaol,  and  as  easily  have  sent  these  prisoners  from 
Newgate  up  westward  by  land,  as  over  southward  by 
sea.  What  moved  king  James  to  this  lenity  at  this 
time,  I  neither  do  know  nor  will  inquire".  Surely, 
such  as  sit  at  the  stern  and  hold  the  helm  can  render 
a  reason  why  they  steer  to  this  or  that  point  of  the 
compass,  though  they  give  not  to  every  mariner 
(much  less  passenger  in  the  ship)  an  account  thereof. 
I,  being  only  by  my  place  vTrtjpeTtjg,  "  a  rower,"  or 
minister  in  the  vessel,  content  myself  in  silence  with 
the  will  of  the  master  thereof.  But  let  us  exemplify 
the  lord  keeper's  letter  to  this  purpose : 

n   [For  the  reason  of  this  le-  p.  543.       See    also    Williams' 

niency,  if  a  reason  be  required,  own  Letter  in  the   Cabala,  p. 

see  Racket's  Life  of  Williams,  269,    detailing  the  motives   of 

p.  91,  and  Spottiswood's  His-  the  king's  conduct] 
tory  of  the  Church  of  Scotland, 

M  m  3 


534  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D. 1622. 

■20  James.  m 
lO    THE   JUDGES. 

"  After  my  hearty  commendations  to  you,  his 
"  majesty  having  resolved  (out  of  deep  reasons  of 
"  state,  and  in  expectation  of  like  correspondence 
"  from  foreign  princes,  to  the  professors  of  our  reli- 
"  gion)  to  grant  some  grace  and  connivancy  to  the 
"  imprisoned  papists  of  this  kingdom,  hath  com- 
"  manded  me  to  pass  some  Mrits  under  the  broad 
"  seal  to  this  purpose  ;  requii-ing  the  judges  of  every 
"  circuit  to  enlarge  the  said  prisoners  according  to 
"  the  tenor  and  effect  of  the  same.  I  am  to  give 
"  you  to  understand  (from  his  majesty)  how  his 
"  majesty's  royal  pleasure  is,  that  upon  receipt  of 
"  these  writs  you  shall  make  no  niceness  or  diffi- 
"  culty  to  extend  that  his  princely  favour  to  all  such 
"  papists  as  you  shall  find  prisoners  in  the  gaols 
"  of  your  circuits,  for  any  church  recusancy  what- 
"  soever,  or  refusing  the  oath  of  supremacy,  or  dis- 
"  persing  popish  books,  or  hearing  saying  of  mass  or 
"  any  other  point  of  recusancy  which  doth  touch  or 
"  concern  religion  only,  and  not  matters  of  state. 
"  And  so  I  bid  you  farewell. 

"  Westminster  College,  "  ^OUr  loving  friend. 

"  August  2, 1622."  "  John  Lincoln." 

Now  although  one  will  easily  believe  many  priests 
and  Jesuits  were  set  at  liberty,  yet  surely  that  ^  gen- 
tleman is  no  true  accountant,  if  affirming  no  fewer 
than  four  thousand  to  be  set  free  at  this  time ;  espe- 
cially considering  that  Pone  who  undertakes  to  give 
in  a  perfect  list  of  all  the  Jesuits  in  England  (and  is 

«    [Prynne's  Hidden  Works,  P  Jo.  Gee's  Foot  out  of  the 

&c.  p.  14.]  Snare. 


CENT,  xvir. 


of  lirituin. 


535 


since  conceived  rather  to  asperse  some  Protestants 
than  conceal  any  papists)  cannot  mount  their  num- 
ber higher  than  two  hundred  fifty  and  five.  To 
which,  if  such  whom  he  detects  for  popish  physicians, 
with  all  those  whom  he  accuses  for  popish  books,  be 
cast  in,  they  will  not  make  up  the  tithe  of  four 
thousand  ^. 

24.  However,  most  distasteful  was  Gondomar's 
greatness  to  the  English  ancient  nobility,  who  mani- 
fested the  same,  as  occasion  was  offered,  as  by  this 
one  instance  may  appear  :  Henry  Vere,  earl  of  Ox- 
ford, chanced  to  meet  with  count  Gondomar  at  a  great 
entertainment ;  the  don  accosted  him  with  high 
compliments,  vowing,  "  That  amongst  all  the  nobi- 
"  lity  of  England  there  was  none  he  had  tendered 
"  his  service  with  more  sincerity  than  to  his  lord- 
"  ship,  though  hitherto  such  his  unhappiness,  that 


A.D.  1622. 

20  James. 


Bitter  com- 
pliments be- 
twixt Gon- 
domar and 
the  earl  of 
Oxford. 


q  [See  a  catalogue  of  "  the 
"  Names  of  the  Romish  Priests 
*'  and  Jesuits  now  resident 
"  about  the  city  of  London, 
"  IMarch  26,  1624,"  appended 
to  the  treatise  just  mentioned. 
Gee  gives  an  account  merely 
of  the  priests  and  Jesuits,  but 
Prynne  refers  to  four  thousand 
Roman  catholics,  laity  appa- 
rently, as  well  as  Jesuits  and 
priests,  who  were  about  this 
time  set  at  liberty.  His  words 
are  a  mere  translation  of  a  letter 
by  DeCiri9a  to  king  James,  dated 
from  Madrid,  7th  July,  1622, 
which  commences  with  the  fol- 
lowing passage  :  "  El  Sen"r. 
"  Conde  de  Gondomar  dio 
"  quenta  los  Dias  passados  al 
"  Reymi  Sefior,  que  a  ynstanqia 
"  suya  ha  dado  libertad  el  Ser^. 
"  Rey   de  la  gran    Bretafia  a 


"  quatro  mil  personas,  que  esta- 
"  van  pressos  en  a  quel  regno 
"  por  causa  de  Religion,"  &c. 
Tan.  Ixxiii.  p.  1 29.  This  letter, 
though  not  original,  is  probably 
a  copy  by  Digby's  own  hand. 
The  release  of  the  Roman  ca- 
tholics was  an  act  of  policy  .as 
well  as  mercy;  the  expense  of 
detaining  them,  already  a  griev- 
ous burthen,  was  likely  to  be 
increased  by  the  necessity  of 
building  additional  prisons  for 
that  purpose.  By  this  step  the 
king  now  returned  to  those  le- 
nient measures  with  which  he 
had  commenced  his  reign;  mea- 
sures which  would  have  long 
since  been  carried  fully  into  ef- 
fect had  they  not  been  prevent- 
ed by  the  imprudence  of  the 
Roman  catholic  and  the  violence 
of  the  ultra-Protestant  party.] 

M  m  4 


536  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.D.  1622.  <' liis  affections  were  not  accepted  according  to  his 

20  James.         .  .  i  i       i  „  t  ■>-, 

"  mtegnty  wiio  tendered  them.       "it  seems,     re- 
plied the  earl  of  Oxford,  "  that  your  lordshi]i  had 
"  good  leisure,  when  stooping  in  your  thoughts  to 
"  one  so  inconsiderable  as  myself,  whose  whole  life 
"  hath  afforded  but  two  things  memorable  therein." 
"  It  is  your  lordship's  modesty,"  returned  Gondomar, 
"  to  undervalue  yourself,  whilst  we,  the   spectators 
"  of  your  honour's  deserts,  make  a  true  and  unpar- 
"  tial  estimate  thereof;  hundreds  of  memorables  have 
"  met    in   your  lordship's   life  :    but  good   my  lord 
"  what  are  those  two  signal  things  more  conspicuous 
"  than  all  the  rest?"     "  They  are  these  two,"  said 
the  earl :    "  I    M^as    born   in   the    eighty- eight,    and 
"  christened  on  the  fifth  of  November." 
The  death       25.  Heury  Copinger,  formerly  fellow  of  St.  John's 
Henry  Co-  College    in   Cambridge,   prebendary   of  York,   once 
pinger.       chaplain    to    Ambrose,    earl    of    Warwick,    (whose 
funeral  sermon  he  preached,)  made  master  of  Mag- 
dalene College  in  Cambridge  by  her  majesty's  man- 
date,  (though  afterwards  resigning  his  right  at  the 
Queen's  (shall  I  call  it?)  request,  to  prevent  trouble,) 
ended  his  religious  life.     He  was  the  sixth  son  of 
Henry  Copinger  of  Bucks  hall  in  Suffolk,  esquire, 
by   Agnes,   daughter   of   sir  Thomas  Jermyn.     His 
father  on  his  deathbed  asking  him,   "  what  course 
"  of  life   he   would  embrace ; "    he  answered,    "  he 
"  intended  to  be  a  divine."     *'  I  like  it  well,"  said 
the  old  gentleman ;    "  otherwise,  what  shall   I   say 
"  to  Martin  Luther  when  I  shall  see  him  in  heaven, 
"  and  he  knows  that  God  gave  me  eleven  sons,  and 
"  I  made  not  one  of  them  a  minister?"     An  ex- 
pression  proportionable   enough    to    Luther's  judg- 
ment, who  maintained  some  hours  before  his  death, 


CENT.  xvir.  of  Britain.  537 

"  that  the  saints  in  heaven  shall  knowindy  converse  ^•^•' ^"• 

~  •'  20  James. 

"  one  Avith  another''."  

26.  Lanehani  living  fell  void,  which  both  deserved  a  free  pa- 

111  ^''""  '""^ 
a  good  minister,  being  a  rich  parsonage,  and  needed  faithful  in- 
one ;    it  being  more  than  suspicious  that  Dr.  Rey- ^"j!|j  ^et. 
nolds,  late  incumbent,  (who  ran  away  to  Rome.)  had 
left  some  superstitious  leaven  behind  him.     The  earl 
of  Oxford,  being  patron,  presents  Mr.  Copinger  to  it, 
but  adding  withal,  "  that  he  would  pay  no  tithes  of 
"  his  park,  being  almost  half  the  land  of  the  parish." 
Copinger  desired  to  resign  it  again  to  his  lordship, 
rather  than  by  such  sinful  gratitude  to  betray  the 
rights   of  the   church.     "  Well ;    if  you  be  of  that 
"  mind,  then  take   the   tithes,"   saith  the  earl ;  "  I 
"  scorn   that  my   estate  should   swell   with    church 
"  goods."     However,  it  afterwards  cost  master  Co- 
pinger sixteen  hundred  pounds  in  keeping  his  ques- 
tioned, and  recovering  his  detained  rights,  in   suit 
with  the  agent  for  the  next  (minor)  earl  of  Oxford, 
and  others ;    all  which  he  left  to  his  church's  quiet 
possession,  being  zealous  in  God's  cause  but  remiss 
in  his  own. 

27.  He  lived  forty  and  five  years  the  painful  par- His  long 

and  good 

son  of  Laneham,  in  which  market  town  there  were  life. 
about  nine  hundred  communicants,  amongst  whom, 
all  his  time,  no  difference  did  arise  which  he  did  not 
compound.  He  had  a  bountiful  hand  and  plentiful 
purse,  (his  paternal  inheritance  by  death  of  elder 
brothers,  and  other  transactions,  descending  upon 
him,)  bequeathing  twenty  pounds  in  money,  and  ten 
pounds  per  annum  to  the  poor  of  the  parish,  in  the 
chancel  whereof  he  lieth  buried  under  a  fair  monu- 

r  Pantaleoii,  Vita  Lutheri  [in  Prosopograph.  iii.]  p.  82.  [ed. 
1565-] 


538 


The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A  confer- 
ence with 
Jesuits. 


A.  D.  1623.  ment,  dying  on  St.  Thomas  his  day  in  the  threescore 

^™*^^'  and  twelfth  year  of  his  age. 

28.  Papists  now  appearing  very  daring,  a  con- 
ference, or  dispute,  (if  you  please,)  was  entertained 
betwixt  doctor  White  and  doctor  Featley,  Protest- 
ants ;  father  Fisher  and  father  Sweete,  Jesuits  :  on 
this  occasion,  Edward  Buggs,  esq.,  living  in  London, 
aged  seventy,  and  a  professed  Protestant,  was  in 
his  sickness  seduced  to  the  Romish  religion.  But 
recovering,  this  dispute  was  held  at  his  request  in 
the  house  of  sir  Humphrey  Lynde,  a  learned  and 
religious  gentleman ;  about  the  visibility  of  the 
church,  and  the  tenets  now  maintained  by  the  Pro- 
testants to  have  been  before  Luther.  The  printed 
book  hereof  may  satisfy  the  reader,  as  this  con- 
ference did  so  satisfy  master  Buggs,  that,  renouncing 
his  former  w'avering,  he  w^as  confirmed  in  the  Pro- 
testant truths 


s  [Entitled,  "  The  Fisher 
"  catched  in  his  own  Net," 
1623,  4".  affirmed  to  have  been 
written  byDr. Featley,  according 
to  the  answerer's  preface,  whose 
book  bears  the  following;  title  : 
"  An  Answer  to  a  pamphlet 
*'  entitled.  The  Fisher  catched 
"  in  his  own  Net ;  in  which 
"  by  the  way  is  shewed  that 
"  the  Protestant  Church  was 
"  not  so  visible  in  all  ages  as 
"  the  true  church  ought  to  be; 
"  and  consequently  is  not  the 
"  true  church,  of  which  men 
'*  may  learn  infallible  faith  ne- 
"  cessarjf  to  salvation,"  1623, 
4".  The  question  proposed  by 
the  Jesuit,  Fisher,  for  discus- 
sion, was  in  these  words  : — 
"  Whether  the  Protestant 
"  Church  was  in  all  ages  visi- 


"  ble,  and  especially  in  the 
"  ages  going  before  Luther  ; 
"  and  whether  the  names  of 
"  such  visible  Protestants  in 
"  all  ages  can  be  shewed  and 
"  proved  out  of  good  authors." 
After  observing  that  a  church 
may  have  been  visible,  yet  not 
the  names  of  all  visible  profes- 
sors thereof  now  to  be  shewn 
and  proved,  Dr.  Featley  used 
the  following  argument:  "That 
"  church,  whose  faith  is  eternal 
"  and  perpetual,  was  ever  visi- 
"  ble  in  the  professors  there- 
"  of;  but  the  faith  of  the 
"  Protestant  church  is  eter- 
"  nal  and  perpetual,  Ergo,  &c." 
"  Fisher.  You  conclude  not 
"  the  question."  "  Featley. 
"  There  are  two  queries  in  your 
"  question,  first,  Whether  the 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Br  it  (tin. 


539 


29.   Now   hap})eiiccl   the   sad   vespers,    or   doleful  a.  d.  1623, 

evening    song,    at    Blackfriars    in    London  :     father    — ^ 

Drury,  a  Jesuit  of  excellent  morals  and  ingratiating  vesper  at 
converse*,   (wanting  nothing   saving  the    embracing  ^'^*^^^"*"' 


"  Protestant  church  were  in  all 
"  ages  visible  ;  and  secondly, 
"  Whether  the  names  of  such 
"  visible  Protestants  in  all  ages 
"  can  be  shewed.  I  have  con- 
"  eluded  in  my  syllogism  the 
"  first  query."  "  Fisher.  I 
"  say  tliev  are  but  one,  for 
"  the  latter  part  is  to  expound 
"  the  former  :  for  I  mean  l)y 
"  visible,  so  visible  that  the 
"  names  of  such  visible  Protes- 
"  tants  mav  be  shewed."  A 
very  Jesuitical  explanation  ! 
That  this  is  not  misrepresent- 
ed is  clear  from  the  answerer's 
book,  who  puts  the  same  ar- 
gument in  Fisher's  mouth ; 
terming  it  "  a  needless  wrang- 
"  ling,  as  if  grammar  scholars 
"  had  been  disputing  rather 
"than  grave  divines."  p-i7- 
To  the  above  svllogism  of  Dr. 
Featley,  the  answerer  makes 
the  following  objections :  that 
"  if  the  term  that  church  be 
"  understood  only  of  a  particu- 
*'  lar  church,"  (as  for  example 
the  Church  of  England,)  "  it  is 
"  contrary  to  all  logical  form  : 
"  if  it  beunderstood  universally 
"  of  every  church  that  is,  or 
"  mav  be,  then  both  major  and 
"  minor  are  false;  for  that  there 
"  may  be  a  church  or  company 
"  who  may  have  insured  faith 
"  eternal  and  unchanged,"  (as 
for  example,  a  church  of  angels, ) 
"  who  for  M-ant  of  visible  pro- 
"  fession  are  not  so  visible  as 
"  the  catholic  church  ought  to 
"  be.     The  minor  is  false  also. 


"  for  the  Protestant  Church 
"  hath  not  the  true  primitive 
"  faith."  This  of  course  was 
the  point  to  be  proved  ;  for 
without  objecting  that  this  re- 
futation of  the  major  applies  to 
only  one  alternative,  if  what 
the  answerer  says  be  correct, 
then  there  may  be  a  true 
church  without  being  visible, 
and  a  true  church  without 
being  catholic,  which  upsets 
his  own  argument.  This  an- 
swer, though  it  bears  the  false 
initials  of  A.  C.  was  written  by 
Sweet  the  Jesuit.  See  the 
catalogue  of  Popish  books  in 
Gee's  "  Foot  outof  the  Snare."] 
t  ["  Father  Drury,  a  Jesuit 
"  by  profession,  and  by  birth  a 
"  gentleman,  being  extracted 
"  out  of  the  house  of  the  Nor- 
"  folcian  Druries,  and  son  unto 
"  Dr.  Drury,  late  professor  of 
"  the  civil  law,  and  practiser 
"  thereof  in  the  court  of  Arches 
"  here  in  London.  He  was  by 
"  those  of  the  Romish  religion 
"  rej)uted  to  be  a  man  of  great 
"  learning :  and  although  he 
"  were  opposite  in  point  of  faith 
"  and  belief  unto  the  religion 
"  nowprofessed  in  England,  vet 
"  was  he  held  by  the  generality 
"  of  our  nation,  both  Protest- 
"  ants  and  Papists,  who  knew 
"  him,  and  could  make  a  true 
"  estimate  of  his  virtues,  to  be 
"  a  man  of  good  moral  life  and 
"  of  a  plausible  and  laudable 
"  conversation."  Stow,  ibid.  p. 
380.       The  writer  of  the  same 


BOOK  X. 


A.  D.I  62.^ 
21  James. 


Death 
without 
giving-  any 
warning. 


540  The  Church  History 

•of  the  truth  to  make  him  valuable  in  himself  and 
"acceptable  to  others,)  preached  in  a  great  iii)per 
room  in  Blackfriars,  next  to  the  house  of  the 
French  ambassador",  where  some  three  hundred  per- 
sons were  assembled.  His  text  the  xviiith  chapter 
of  St.  Matthew,  ver.  32,  33,  O  thou  ungracious 
servant!  I  forgave  thee  all  that  debt  because  thou 
desiredst  me ;  shouldest  not  thou  also  have  had  com- 
passion on  thy  fellow  servant,  even  as  I  had  pity  on 
thee  f  In  application  whereof,  he  fell  upon  a  bitter 
invective  against  the  Protestants^. 

30.  His  sermon  began  to  incline  to  the  middle, 
the  day  to  the  end  thereof,  when  on  the  sudden  the 
floor  fell  down  whereon  they  were  assembled  >'.  It 
gave  no  charitable  warning  groan  beforehand,  but 
cracked,  brake,  and  fell  all   in  an  instant^.     JSIany 


pamphlet  observes,  that  Drury 
had  so  strong  a  presentiment 
of  this  fatal  disaster  that  he 
would  have  deferred  the  in- 
tended exercise ;  but  being 
pressed  on  by  his  friends,  by 
whom  he  was  greatly  admired, 
and  unwilling  to  disappoint  the 
expectations  of  a  crowded  au- 
dience, he  resolved  to  proceed.] 

•J  [Comte  le  Tellier.  Stow, 
ibid.] 

X  [As  some  give  out.  See 
a  much  better  extract  of  the 
sermon  in  Stow,  p.  381.] 

>'  [See  a  pamphlet  written 
upon  this  occasion  by  some 
zealous  Protestant,  entitled, 
"  Something  written  by  occa- 
"  sion  of  that  fatal  and  memor- 
"  able  accident  in  the  Black- 
"  friars,  on  Sunday,  being  the 
"  26th  of  Oct.  1623,  s.  a.  and 
"  the  5th  of  Nov.  s.  n.  or  Ro- 
"  mano."  4°.  p.  30,  1623.    See 


also  another  pamphlet,  entitled, 
"  Tlie  Fatal  Ves|)ers,"  written 
by  one  who  received  his  ac- 
count from  one  of  the  conrpany, 
printed  in  Stow's  Survey,  p. 
380,  ed.  1633,  and  by  itself, 
written  on  the  same  subject.] 

^  [In  this  our  author  is 
slightly  mistaken,  according  to 
the  writer  of  the  above  pam- 
phlet. "  On  a  sudden,"  he 
says,  "  there  was  a  kind  of 
"  murmuring  amongst  the  peo- 
*'  pie,  and  some  were  heard  to 
"  say  the  room  shakes  5  Avhich 
"  word  being  taken  one  of 
"  another,  the  whole  company 
"  rose  up  with  a  strong  sud- 
"  denness  : — I  cannot  compare 
"  it  better  than  to  many  pas- 
"  sengers  in  a  boat  in  a  tem- 
"  pest,  who  are  commanded  to 
"  sit  still  and  let  the  water- 
"  man  alone  with  managing 
"  the   oars,    but   some    unruly 


CENT.  xviT.  of  Brituiii.  541 

were  killed,  more  bruised,   all  frio-jited;    sad  sight,  a. d.  1623. 
to  behold  the   flesh  and  blood  of  ditFerent  persons ^ 


mingled  together,  and  the  brains  of  one  on  the  head 
of  another.  One  lacked  a  leg,  another  an  arm ;  a 
third,  whole  and  entire,  wanted  nothing  but  breath, 
stifled  in  the  ruins.  Some  Protestants  coming 
merely  to  see  were  made  to  suffer,  and  bare  the 
heavy  burden  of  their  own  curiosity.  About  ninety- 
five  persons  were  slain  outright,  amongst  whom  INIr. 
Drury  and  Mr.  Redyate,  priests,  with  the  lady 
Webbe%  were  of  the  greatest  quality.  Nor  must 
we  forget  how,  when  one  comforted  a  maid-child, 
about  ten  years  of  age,  exhorting  her  to  patience  for 
her  mother  and  sister,  the  child  replied,  "  that  how- 
'*  ever  it  fared  with  them,  this  would  be  a  great 
"  scandal  to  their  religion : "  a  speech  commendable 
in  any,  admirable  in  one  of  her  age^. 

31.  Yet  marvellous  was  God's  mercy  in  the  pre- i  win  sing 
servation  of  some  there  present.     One  corner  of  the  an'"Justice. 
first  floor  rather  hung  still  than  stood,  (without  any 
beams,)  by  the  relative  strength  from  the  side  walls, 

"  peoplerisingoverthrowsthem  "  dampish,  and  the  room  itself 

"  all.       So    was   the  company  "  did  savour  of  the  walls  and 

"  served  :    for  the  people  thus  "  mortar."    p.  20.       Yet   it    is 

"  affrighted    started    up    with  really   astonishing  what   effect 

"  extraordinary  quickness,  and  this  accident  produced  ;    men, 

"  at  an  instant  the  main  sum-  according  to  their  feelings  and 

"  mer  or  beam  brake  in  sun-  prepossessions,    considering    it 

"  der."     It  was  an  old  house,  as  a  judgment  of  God,  or  mag- 

and  apparently  had  been  part  nifying   it   into  a    martyrdom, 

of   the    ancient    monastery    in  See  also  an  account  of  this  dis- 

Blackfriars;  as  the  same  writer  aster  in  Johnston,  Rer.  Brit.  p. 

says,  "  the  building  ancient,  the  622.] 

"  room      somewhat     spacious,  ^  [Descended  of  the  family 

"  having  dormer  windows,  and  of   the    Treshams,    sister  unto 

"  seemed   indeed   a    handsome  lady  Morley.      Stow,    ibid.    p. 

"  garret.       For    those    which  384.] 
"  have  been  in  it  say,  the  stairs  ^   [Stow,  ibid.] 

"  were    somewhat    dark    and 


542  The  Church  History 


BOOK  X. 


A.D.  1623.  and   about  twenty  persons   upon  it.     These  beheld 

21  James.  ^  ^ 

that  tragedy  wherein  instantly  they  expected  to  act, 

and,  which  was  the  worst,  their  fall  would  not  only 
kill  them,  but  by  their  w^eight  they  should  be  the  un- 
willing slayers  of  others,  w^hich  as  yet  laboured  for 
life  beneath  them.  It  was  put  into  their  minds 
with  their  knives  (fright  adding  force  unto  them) 
to  cut  their  passage  out  of  a  loom  wall  into  the  next 
chamber,  whereby  their  lives  were  preserved.  Of 
those  that  fell,  one  was  kept  alive,  (though  embraced 
by  death  on  either  side,)  a  chair  falling  hollow  upon 
her«^.  Thus  any  arms  are  of  proof  if  Divine  Provi- 
dence be  but  pleased  to  put  them  on. 

truever-  32.  Next  day  was  empanelled  a  coroner's  inquest 
of  substantial  citizens  to  inquire  into  the  cause  and 
manner  of  their  death.  These  found  it  done  neither 
by  miracle  nor  malice,  no  plot  or  indirect  practice 
appearing,  (as  some  no  less  falsely  than  maliciously 
gave  it  out,)  the  roof  standing,  side  wall  sound, 
foundation  firm,  only  the  floor  broken  by  God's 
wisdom  permitting  it,  and  their  own  folly  occasion- 
ing it.  Nor  could  the  carpenter  be  justly  accused 
for  slight  and  unfaithful  building,  making  it  sub- 
stantial enough  for  any  private  purpose,  and  none 
could  foresee  that  they  >vould  bring  a  church  into 
a  chamber.  Twenty  of  the  poorer  sort  were  buried 
hard  by  in  one  grave,  and  the  rest  bestowed  by  their 
friends  in  several  places  of  sepulture. 

wndw'shes  ^^'  '^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^^^^^  persons,  the  object 
of  pity  to  all  good  and  wise  men,  was  the  subject 
of  envy  to  some,  so  sillily  superstitious  as  to  repine 
at  it,  that  they  had  not  a  share  in  this  slaughter. 

<=  [Lucy  Penrudock.    Johnston,  ibid.] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britu'in.  543 

On  this  account,  because  the  priest  or  clerk  after  a.d.  162.^. 

every  mass  in  the  City  of  London  solemnly  invited '- 

the  peoj)le  present  with  a  loud  voice  to  say,  three 
paternosters  and  three  ave-niaria's  for  the  souls  of 
such  as  died  in  Blackfriars;  particularly  one  Parker'*, 
who  narrowly  escaped  the  danger  there,  professed — 
that  "  nothing  grieved  him  more  but  that  he  had 
"  not  been  one  of  those  that  died  by  the  aforesaid 
"  mischance."  But  see  what  happened ;  this  man 
going  over  to  Douay  to  take  priestly  orders  the 
week  following,  was  drowned  in  his  passage  :  thus 
wild  wishes  for  death  prove  sometimes  such  guests 
as  come  home  to  the  inviters  before  they  be  wel- 
come unto  them'^. 

34.  This  accident  fell  on  Sunday  the  26th  of 
October,  which,  according  to  the  new  style  observed 
beyond  sea,  (having  the  speed  of  ours  by  ten  days,) 
fell  upon  their  fifth  of  November,  a  day  notoriously 
known  in  the  popish  calendar.  Whereupon  master 
Edward  Benlowes*^,  a  religious  and  learned  gentleman, 
no  small  promoter  of  my  former  and  present  labours, 
thus  expressed  himself: — 

Quinta  Novevibris  eat,  Graias  orsura  calendas ; 

Sit  quocunqiie  stilo,  q%ibita  Novembris  eat. 
Ilia  dies  letho  Britomim  devoverat  aidam  ; 

Letho  devotam  sospitat  ilia  dies. 

^   [Jo.  Gee's  Foot  out  of  the  "aluieiainfessns,  neqiie  viri- 

Snare,  p.  5]  "■  bu.s  tavi   iiivcdidits  f'uit,    qiti 

e  [The  Romanists  celebrated  "  twn  solenmhiis  fuuer'is  hi/er- 

the  funeral  of  such  as  died  in  "  fiierit."     Ibid.] 
their  communion  with  extreme  f  [See  the  dedications  to  the 

care  and  ceremony  ;    according  History  of  the   University    of 

to  Johnston,  "  ?iec  Redeaii  Je-  Cambridge,  sect.  VI.  the  Pisgah 

"  suilfP,    eadem    ridna     ubruti.  Sight,  p.  23.  and  \v^ood's  Fasti, 

"  fumis  inhotioratnm,  sine  uUo  Oxon.  ii.  p.  204,  where  a  long 

"  solcfini  transrnissum  est.   Ne-  account  is  given  of  this  stranj^e 

"  mo  Londtni  poidijicius,  neque  and  singular  person.] 


544  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  162,^  Ista  dies  duxit  sacra  ad  miwranda  misellos  ; 

'"^'^'^'  Adductos  sacris  sustulU  ista  dies. 

Lapsa  repente  domus  ros  ira  ati'oce  per  emit. 

Queisfuit  ira  atrox  lapsa  repente  domus. 
Drurie.,  cum  cerebro  conspergis  pulpita  vano, 

Dum  spargis  cerebri  jphasmata  vana  tui, 
Trabe  pei'emptus  obis,  qui  lignea  vivits  adoras, 

Lignca  vivus  ades,  trabe  peremptus  obis  ; 
Ligna  lapisque^  manus  injwdera  dantia,  mactant 

Hos,  cjuibus  in  sacra  stint Jixdera  ligna,  lapis. 
Queis  crux  coeca  Deus,  tenebrosa  magistra,  colentes 

In  tenebras  coecos  coeca  magistra  rapit. 
Ah !  e?-it  exemplum  cm  non  hoc  triste  timori, 

Tristis  hie  exemplum  triste  timoris  erit. 

H(Bc,  Romista  cave,  domus  una  uf  corruit  hora, 
Una  sic  hora  Roma,  caveto,  ruet. 

A  caveat  to  I  havG  nothing  else  to  add  of  this  sad  disaster, 
save  that  the  news  thereof  next  Monday  morning, 
October  the  27th,  was  fresh  in  every  man's  m.outh 
in  his  majesty's  chapel  in  Whitehall,  at  what  time 
the  xiiith  chapter  of  St.  Luke's  gospel  was  read 
for  the  lesson  appointed  for  the  day  by  the  Rubric 
of  the  Church  of  England  ;  wherein,  near  the  begin- 
ning, Or  those  eighteen,  upon  whom  the  tower  in 
Siloam  fell,  and  slew  them,  think  ye  that  they  were 
sinners  above  all  men  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  f  I 
tell  you.  Nay:  but,  eoecept  you  repent,  ye  shall  likewise 
perish. 


SECT.  vn. 


TO 


THOMAS     SHUGBO  ROUGH*, 


BYRDENBUKY,  IN  WARWICKSHIRE,  ESQUIRE. 

Themistocles  was  wont  to  say,  "  That  it  was  the  best  music 
"for  a  man  to  hear  his  oiim  commendation^.''''  Should 
I  play  a  lesson  thereof  unto  your  ears,  (insisting  on  your 
bounty  to  public  booh,)  sure  I  am^  the  tune  would  be  mx>re 
cheerful  to  me  than  grateful  to  you,  better  pleaded  in  de- 
serving than  hearing  your  oion  encomium.  I  therefore 
uiill  turn  my  praising  of  you  unto  praying  for  you.,  as 
more  proportionable  to  my  public  profession,  and  acceptable 
to  your  modest  disposition. 

ANY  papists,  not  truly  humbled  with  ^•^- '^23. 

^     I  •'  21  James. 

this  late  sad    accident,    so  demeaned  ^- — 

I  he  arch- 

themselves,  that  indeed  most  offensive '"shop's  let- 

1      •      •  1  11  ■!-.       T   1      ter  against 

was  then-  insolence  to  ail  true  Jbnglish- a  toleration, 
men,  the  rather  because  it  was  gene- 
rally reported  that  his  majesty  intended  a  toleration 


^ 

n 

1. 

a  [Arms.  Sable,  a  chevron 
betwixt  three  mullets  argent. 
"  Though  the  records  of  this 
"  family  "  (says  Fuller  in  his 
"  Worthies,  iii.  p.  296)  "have 
"  been  embezzled,  so  that  the 
"  links  of  their  successions 
"  cannot  be  chained  in  a  con- 
"  tinual    pedigree    from    their 

FULLER,   VOL.  V. 


"  orginal;  y^t  is  their  surname 
"  right  ancient  in  the  place 
"  of  their  name  and  habitation, 
"  giving  for  their  arms  the 
"  stones  asfroites,"  (in  herald- 
ry reduced  to  mullets,  which 
they  most  resemble,)  "  found 
"  within  their  manor."] 
^  Plut.  in  his  Life. 
N  n 


)46 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.  D.  1623.  of  religion,  which  made  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
ames.  ^^^^^  (though  uiider  a  cloud  for  his  disaster)  to 
adventure  humbly  to  present  the  king  with  his 
apprehensions,  losing  with  some  the  reputation  of  a 
politic  statesman,  but  preserving  with  others  the  cha- 
racter of  an  honest,  downright  Protestant.  Which 
letter,  though  sent  and  delivered  with  all  privacy, 
came  by  some  (whether  his  friends  or  foes  uncer- 
tain) to  be  generally  known,  and  afterwards  publicly 
printed,  as  followeth^ : — 


c  [Dr.  Heylynseemsto  think 
that  Abbot  was  not  the  author 
of  this  letter.  (Life  of  Laud,  p. 
III.)  Not,  I  suppose,  from  the 
style  of  the  letter,  for  the  arch- 
bishop, with  many  others  of  his 
party,  was  a  determined  oppo- 
nent to  toleration  in  matters  of 
relif];ion,  and  went  so  far  as  to 
assert  in  the  Star-chamber,  7th 
March,  161 3,  that  the  king,  if 
he  granted  a  toleration,  would 
in  that  case  cease  to  be  the  de- 
fender, and  become  the  betrayer 
of  the  faith.  (See  extract  from 
a  MS.  letter  quoted  by  Lin- 
gard,  vol.vi.  p.  155  n.)  In  two 
contemporaneous  copies  in  Tan. 
MSS.  Ixxiii.  247,  it  is  called  a 
speech,  and  so  it  seems  to  be. 
This  circumstance  then,  and  the 
variations  found  in  different 
copies  of  it,  and  the  absence  of 
the  original,  seem  to  favor  Hey- 
lyn's  opinion.  But  the  greatest 
difficulty  is  to  reconcile  the  arch- 
bishop's conduct  in  writing  this 
paper  with  his  signing  the  arti- 
cles of  the  Spanish  match.  If  he 
had  the  boldness  to  address  the 
king  by  letter,  he  would  hardly 
have  scrupled  to  refuse  signing 
the  articles  ;   at  least  he  would 


have  voted  against  the  proposal 
for  s-igningthem,  which  he  might 
easily  have  done  without  ha- 
zard ;  since  when  this  point  was 
debated  in  council,  the  king  was 
so  perplexed,  and  the  lords  so 
irresolute,  that  the  least  show 
of  opposition  on  the  side  of  the 
archbishop  would  have  decided 
the  question.  If  then  we  admit 
the  genuineness  of  this  paper, 
we  can  scarcely  acquit  the  arch- 
bishop of  tergiversation  ;  a  vice 
of  which  he  was  perfectly  free. 
Whatever  other  faults  he  might 
have  had,  he  was  a  prelate  ra- 
ther of  a  stern  and  unrelenting 
character,  and  certainly  no  flat- 
terer of  kings;  as  may  be  seen 
byhis'apology,  if  it  be  his,  print- 
ed in  Rushworth,  I.  p.  438. 

The  remarks  of  Hacket  de- 
serve consideration.  After  ob- 
serving that  Sanderson  is  mis- 
taken in  supposing  that  the 
archbishop  was  not  present  at 
the  debate  above  alluded  to,  he 
continues:  "It  may  be  Mr.  San- 
"  derson  could  not  reconcile, 
"  nor  I  neither,  how  the  arch- 
"  bishop  should  sign  to  the  rati- 
"  fication,  and  undertake  a  long 
"  letter  to  king  James  to  dis- 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain . 


547 


"  May  it  please  your  majesty, 
"  I  have  been  too  long  silent,  and  am  afraid  by 
my  silence  I  have  neglected  the  duty  of  the  place 
it  hath  pleased  God  to  call  me  unto,  and  ^your 
majesty  to  place  me  in.  ^And  now  -^I  humbly 
crave  ^ leave,  I  may  discharge  my  conscience  to- 
wards God  and  my  duty  to  your  majesty.  And 
therefore  I  beseech  ^your  majesty,  give  me  leave 
freely  to  deliver  myself,  and  then  let  your  majesty 
do  with  me  ^what  you  please.  Your  majesty  hath 
propounded  a  toleration  of  religion  :  I  beseech  you, 
sir,  take  into  your  consideration  ''what  the  act  is. 


A.D.  1623. 
21  James. 


1  yourself  T.  2  But  T.  t. 

5   you  Sire,  to  T.  t.  "^  as  t. 

qiience  may  be  by  your  act.      You  T. 


3  I  do  t.  •*  leave  oin.  T. 

what  vour  act  is,  what  the  conse- 


"  prove  it  with  many  flourishes. 
"  The  same  fountain  cannot 
"  send  forth  salt  water  and 
"fresh.  Therefore  I  deny  the 
"  letter,  I  believe  justly,  to 
"  have  been  written  by  him. 
"  Such  frauds  are  committed 
"  daily  to  set  credit  to  spurious 
"  writings  under  a  borrowed 
"  name. —  But  I  will  prove  my 
"  conjecture  stronglv-  First, 
"  So  wise  a  man  would  not 
"  shame  himself  with  incon- 
"  stancy ;  act  one  thing  to  day 
"  with  his  sovereign  lord,  and 
"  pluck  it  down  to-morrow. 
"  Secondly,  The  letter  crept 
"  out  of  darkness  thirty  years 
"  after  the  prince  came  out  of 
"  Spain,  and  twenty  years  after 
"  the  supposed  author's  death. 
"  Thirdly,  The  lord  keeper  cer- 
"  titled  the  prince,  that  before 
"  the  lords  came  together  to 
"  consult  about  the  case  of  the 
"  oaths,  two  speeches  were  in 


'*  many  hands  rife  in  London  ; 
'  the  one  for  the  negative  un- 
'  der  the  archbishop's  name ; 
'  the  other  for  the  aflirmative 
'  under  the  lord  keeper's  name; 
'■'  when  no  colloquy  had  been 
'  begun  about  it.  Was  it  not 
'  as  easy  for  the  same  author, 
'  or  such  another,  to  forge  a 
'  letter  as  well  as  a  speech  } 
'■'  Fourthly,  The  archbishop 
"  was  so  stout  in  the  pulpit  at 
•'  Whitehall,  as  to  deplore  the 
"  prince's  absence,  and  his  de- 
'■'■  parture  out  of  the  kingdom. 
"  The  ill  relish  of  that  passage, 
'  (I  know  it  by  the  papers  un- 
•'  der  my  hand,)  was  sent  a- 
"  broad  as  far  as  Spain  by  sir 
"  Edward  Villiers.  And  I 
"  dare  say  the  tidings  of  that 
"  letter  had  follo\\'ed  the  news 
"  of  the  sermon,  if  it  had  been 
"  a  chickenof  the  same  brood." 
P-  I43-] 

N  n  2 


548  The  Church  History  rook  x. 

A.  D.  1623. "  next   what  the    consequence    may  be.       By  your 

"  act  you  labour  to  set  up  that  most  damnable  and 

"  heretical   doctrine   of  the    church    of  Rome,    the 
"  whore    of   Babylon.     How  hateful   will  it  be   to 
"  God,  and  grievous  ^  unto  your  good  subjects,  the 
"  true  professors  of  the  gospel,  that  your  majesty, 
"  who    hath   often   disputed   and   learnedly   written 
"  against  those   wicked  heresies,  should  now  shew 
"  yourself^  a  patron  of  those  doctrines  which  your 
"  pen  hath  told  the  world,  and  your  conscience  tells 
"  yourself,  are  superstitious,  idolatrous,  ^^and  detes- 
"  table.     Add  hereunto  what  you  have  done  in  send- 
"  ing  the  prince  into  Spain  without  ^^  the  consent  of 
"  your  council,  the  privity  and  approbation  of  ^^  your 
"people.     And    ^^ though,    Sir,    you    have   a   large 
"  interest  in  the  prince,  as  the  son  of  your  flesh,  yet 
"  hath  the  people  a  greater,  as  the  son  of  the  king- 
"  dom,  upon  whom  (next  after  your  majesty)  ^^  their 
"  eyes  are  fixed,  and  welfare  depends.  And  so  tenderly 
"  is  his  going  apprehended,  ^-^as,  believe  it.  Sir,  how- 
"  ever  his  return  may  be  safe,  yet  the  drawers  of 
"  him  1^  to  that  action,  so  dangerous  to  himself,  so 
"  desperate  to  the  kingdom,  will  not  pass  away  un- 
"  questioned,  ^'and  unpunished.     Besides,  this  tole- 
"  ration  ^^  which   you  endeavour  to  set  up  by  ^^pro- 
"  clamation,  ^o  cannot  be  done  without  a  parliament, 
*'  unless  your  majesty  will  let  your  subjects  see,  that 
"  you  will   take   unto   yourself  a  liberty   to  throw 
"  down  the  laws  of  the  land  at  your  pleasure.  What 
"  dreadful  consequence  these  things  may  draw  after 
"  21  them,  I  beseech  your  majesty  to  consider.     And 

8  to  T.  t.       9  as  T.  t.  10  and  om.  T.  t.        H  the  om.  T.  12  the  T.t. 

1.1  although  T.  t.  1-1  are  their  eyes  T.  t.  l-^  that  believe  it  Sir,  how- 

soever T.  t.  l'>  unto  T.  t.  1'   and  om.  T.t.  ^^  which  om.  T.  t. 

19  your  proclamation  T.t.  20  it  cannot  T.t.  21   them  am.  T.  t. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  549 

"  above  all,  lest  by  this  toleration  and  22discontinu-A.D.  162.V 

"  ance  of  the  true  profession  of  the  gospel,  ^^  whereby 

"  God  hath  blessed  us,  and  under  which  this  king-  - 
*'  dom  hath  ^^  for  many  years  flourished,  your  ma- 
*' jesty  do  not  draw  upon  the  kingdom  in  general, 
"  and  yourself  in  particular,  God's  heavy  wrath  and 
*'  indignation.  Thus,  in  discharge  of  my  duty  to- 
"  wards  God,  to  your  majesty,  and  the  place  of 
"  my  calling,  T  have  taken  humble  boldness  to 
"  deliver  my  conscience.  And  now.  Sir,  do  with 
*'  me  what  you  please." 

2.  What  effect  this  letter  took  is  unknown  ;    sure  Toleration, 
it  is,  all  men's  mouths  were  filled  with  a  discourse  table  ti.ik, 
of  a   toleration,   for  or  against  it.     Some,   no  pro-^"^^*^  " 
fessed    papists,   but  who   lived   at   the    sign   of  the 
Protestant,  engage  in  their  arguments  very  earnestly 
in  the  defence  thereof,  whilst  others  were  as  zealous 
to  prove  a  toleration  intolerable,  by  reasons  drawn 
both  from  piety  and  policy.     We  will  only  instance 
in  few  out  of  many  as  they  were  bandied  on  both 
sides,  and  chiefly  such  as  concern  religion. 

Pro.  ]                     Con. 

1.  Argument.  The  papists  j       i.  Answer.    Papists  were 

of  late  were  grown  very  peace-  j  not  more  peaceable,  but  more 

able,  justly  recovering  the  re-  I  politic  than  formerly  for  pri- 

putation  of  loyal  subjects.   In  :  vate    ends.       Though    their 

the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth  practice  more  plausible,  their 

scarce  escaped  a  year  without  positions  and  principles  were 

a   treason  from   them  ;    now  as  pernicious  as  ever  before, 

they  vied  obedience  with  Pro-  viz.  That  princes  excommu- 

testants  themselves.     Pity  it  nicated  may  be  deposed  ;   No 

--  discountenance  T.  t.  '^'-^  wherewith  T.  t.  ^-1  these  T.  t. 

N  n  3 


550 


The  Church  History 


BOOK   X. 


A.  D.  1623.  was  but  they  should  be  en- 

! llcouraged,  and  then'  loyalty 

fixed   for  ever,  by  granting 
them  a  toleration. 

2.  AVe  see  the  same  liberty 
allowed  the  Huguenots  in 
France,  to  whom  the  king- 
permits  their  churches,  mi- 
nisters, service,  sermons,  sa- 
craments, according  to  the 
direction  of  their  own  con- 
science. 


3.  Thekingof  Spain  would 
be  highly  affected  with  this 
favour  allowed  to  the  English 
Catholics,  and  this  would 
fasten  him  in  firm  friendship 
to  the  English  crown,  to 
which  his  amity  for  the  pre- 
sent was  not  only  useful  but 
necessary. 

4.  Truth  will  evertriumph 
over  falsehood,  and  verity 
gain  the  victory  of  error,  the 
Protestantism  (notwithstand- 
ing the  toleration)  would  get 
ground  on  popery  by  the  de- 
monstration of  the  Spirit  in 
the  scriptures. 


faith  to  be  kept  with  heretics. 
That  the  pope,  &c. 


2.  The  case  is  different. 
This  libert}'  was  not  so  much 
given  to,  as  gotten  by,  the 
Huguenots,  so  numerous  and 
puissant ;  it  was  conceived 
dangerous  to  deny  them  such 
privileges.  Thanks  be  to  God, 
not  such  as  yet  the  condition 
of  catholicsin  England,  whose 
party  was  not  so  powerful, 
but  certain  by  such  a  tolera- 
tion to  be  improved. 

3.  The  necessity  of  his 
friendship  at  this  time  was 
only  fancied  by  such  as  de- 
sired it.  Besides,  the  King 
of  Heaven  must  not  be  of- 
fended that  the  king  of  Spain 
may  be  pleased. 


4.  Though  truth  itself  be 
stronger  than  falsehood,  yet 
generally  the  promoters  of 
falsehood  are  more  active  and 
sedulous  than  the  advancers 
of  truth.  Besides,  it  is  just 
with  God  upon  the  granting 
of  such  an  unlawful  tolera- 
tion to  weaken  the  converting 
power  of  truth,  and  strength- 
en the  perverting  power  of 
falsehood,  giving  the  English 
over  to  be  deluded  thereby. 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain. 


551 


5.  The  apish  and  mimical 
popish  pageant,  with  the  toys 
and  trifles  in  their  service, 
would  render  their  religion 
ridiculous.  No  danger  that 
any  wise  man  should  ever 
be  seduced  thereby. 


6.  Protestant  ministers 
would  be  more  painful  in 
preaching,  and  careful  in  re- 
siding on  their  cures,  to  keep 
them  from  infection. 


7.  The  thing  in  effect  was 
already  allowed  to  papists, 
who  now  (though  privately) 
safely  celebrated  mass  in  many 
places,  which  favourable  con- 
nivance fell  but  little  short  of 
a  toleration. 


5.  The    world    hath   ever  a.  D.  1623. 
consisted  of  more  fools  than         '""^^' 
wise  people,  such  who  carry 

their  judgment  more  in  their 
eyes  than  in  their  brains; 
popery  being  made  luscious 
to  people's  senses,  too  proba- 
bly would  court  many  to  the 
embracing  thereof. 

6.  It  is  no  policy  to  let  in 
the  wolf  merely  on  design  to 
make  the  shepherds  more 
watchful ;  rather  on  the  con- 
trary, Protestant  ministers 
would  be  utterly  disheartened 
in  the  performance  of  their 
place  when  the  parishioners 
were  countenanced  to  desert 

I  them    without    any    punish- 
ment. 

7.  If  the  papists  already 
have  what  they  would  have, 
let  them  be  contented  there- 
with. Why  desire  they  any 
more  ?  but  indeed  there  is  a 
grand  difference  betwixt  a 
state's  winking  at  their  wick- 
edness for  a  time,  and  a  formal 
and  final  tolerating  thereof. 
During  the  former,  catholics 
sin  on  their  own  account  and 
at  their  own  peril,  the  laws, 
though  not  executed,  stand- 
ing in  full  force  against  them  ; 
but  apubhc  toleration  of  their 
superstition  adapts  the  same 
to  become  the  act  of  the  Eng- 
lish nation. 

N  II  4 


552  The  Church  Historij  book  x. 

A.  D.  1623.      Here  it  would  be  tedious  to  recite  the  texts  of 
'-  scripture  (some  more,  some  less  proper  to  the  pur- 
is  louTa^'*  pose,)  alleged  by  several  persons  against  the  tolera- 
foSion!  *^°"  •    ^^"^®  typical.  Thou  shall  not  'plow  irith  an  ojp 
and  an  ass  ^ :    some  historical,  God's  children  must 
not  speak  two  tongues,  Ashdod  and  Hebrew  ^  :  some 
doctrinal,    We  must  not  do  evil  that  good  may  come 
thereof^.      The  best  was,   the   toleration   bare   date 
with   the   Spanish   match,  with  which   it    was   pro- 
pounded and  agitated,  advanced,  expected,   desired 
by  some ;    opposed,  suspected,  detested  by  others ; 
and    at   last    both    together   finally   frustrated   and 
defeated. 
Hismajes-       3.  Now   was   his  majesty   informed   that    it   was 

jesty's  care 

to  regulate  high  time  to  apply  some  cure  to  the  pulpits,  as  sick 
preac  ing.  ^^.  ^  semion-surfeit  and  other  exorbitancies.  Some 
meddled  with  state  matters,  and  generally,  (by  an 
improper  transposition,)  the  people's  duty  was  preach- 
ed to  the  king  at  court,  the  king's  to  the  people  in 
the  country.  Many  shallow  preachers  handled  the 
profound  points  of  predestination ;  wherein  (pretend- 
ing to  guide  their  flocks)  they  lost  themselves. 
Sermons  were  turned  into  satires  against  papists  or 
nonconformists  ^. 

d  Deut.  xxii.  10.  cution  and  intolerance,  as  they 
e  Neh.  xiii.  24.  conceived  it ;  whilst  those  who 
^  Rom.  iii.  8.  concurred  in  the  decisions  of 
g  [The  synod  of  Dort,  like  the  synod  used  not  their  vie- 
most    religious   discussions    of  tory  Avith   the    discretion   and 
the    same  kind,  provoked  the  charity    which   ought   to   have 
very  evil  which  it  was  intended  been  expected  from  them.    The 
to  have  smothered  and  destroy-  consequence  was,  that  ill  feel- 
ed.     Instead  of  submitting  to  ings    of  political    enmity    and 
its  decisions,  they  who  differed  partizanship  were  now  mixed 
from    them    now   promulgated  up  with  those  of  religious  ditfer- 
their  own  sentiments  with  zeal,  ences,    and   the  quarrel  conti- 
inflamed  by  a  sense  of  perse-  nued  with  unabated  noise  and 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  553 

4.  To    repress    the   present,   and    prevent    future  a.  ix  1623. 

mischiefs  in  this  kind,   his   majesty  issued   out   his  — ^ '- 

directions  to  be  written  fair  in  every  register's  office, 
whence  any  preacher  (if  so  pleased)  might  with  his 
own  hand  take  out  copies  gratis,  paying  nothing  for 
expedition.  Herein  the  king  revived  the  primitive 
and  profitable  order  of  catechizing  in  the  afternoon, 
(better  observed  in  all  other  reformed  churches  than 
of  late  in  England)  according  to  the  tenor  ensuing  *' : 

''  Most  reverend  father  in  God,  right  trusty  and  ^en- Hisdirec 
"  tirely  beloved  counsellor,  We  greet  you  well  \ 
"  Forasmuch  as  the  abuses  and  extravagancies 
"  of  preachers  in  the  pulpit  have  been  in  all  times 
"  repressed  in  this  realm,  by  some  act  or  council 
"  of  state,  with  the  advice  or  resolution  of  grave 
"  and  learned  prelates ;  insomuch,  that  -^  the  very 
"  licensing  of  jjreachers  had  -^  beginning  by  an  order 
"  of  Star-chamber,  the  eighth  day  of  July,  in  the 
"  nineteenth  year  ^of  the  reign  of  king  Henry  the 
"  eighth,  our  noble  predecessor :  and  whereas  at 
"  this  present,  divers  young  students,  by  reading 
"  of  late  writers  and  ungrounded  divines,  do  broach 

1  right  entirely  T.  -'  as  the  W.  T.  3  the  beginning  VV. 

4  of  the  reign  om.  W.  T. 

vigor.     Nor  was  it  confined  to  "  grace  in  our  conversion,  and 

the  Low  Countries,  but  spread  "  perseverance  in  it,  with  much 

into  England,  hitherto  conipa-  "  noise  and  little  profit  to  the 

ratively    free  from    such   vain  "  people."  To  check  this  spirit 

and  useless  controversies ;   "  its  the    orders    in    the    text  were 

"  decisions,"  as  bishop  Hacket  given  :    "  which   in    form    and 

observes,   "  awakened  the  op-  "  style,"  says  Hacket,    '*  were 

"  position  of  divers  scholars  in  "  the  lord  keeper's,  in  the  mat- 

"  our   kingdom   who    lay    still  "  ter  his  majesty's  command." 

*'  before.       Learned    and    un-  Life  of  Williams,  p.  89.] 
"  learned  did  begin  to  conflict  ^  Cabala,    [Edn.  3.  p.  103.] 

"  every    Sunday    about    God's  '   [Wilkins'   Concil.    vol.  iv. 

"  eternal   election,    eflicacy    of  p.  465.] 


554  The  Church  Histon/  book  x. 

A.D  1623. "  ii^anv  times  unprofitable,  unsound  -^seditions,  and 

2 1  James.  '  \ 

"  dangerous  doctrines,  to  the  scandal  of  "the  church, 

"  '  disquiet  of  the  state,  and  present  government : 
"  We,  upon  humble  ^representations  unto  us,  of 
"  these  inconveniences  by  yourself,  and  sundry  other 
"  grave  and  reverend  ])relates  of  this  church,  as 
"  also  of  our  princely  care  and  zeal  for  the  extirpa- 
"  tion  of  schism,  and  dissension  growing  from  these 
"  seeds,  and  for  the  settling  of  a  religious  and  peace- 
"  able  government  both  •'  in  church  and  ^^  common- 
"  Avealth ;  do  by  these  our  special  letters  straitly 
"  charge  and  command  you  to  use  all  possible  care 
"  and  diligence  that  these  limitations  and  cautions 
"  herewith  sent  unto  you  concerning  preachers,  be 
"  duly  and  ^^  strictly  from  henceforth  put  in  practice 
"  and  observed  by  the  several  bishops  within  your 
"  jurisdiction.  And  to  this  end  our  pleasure  is, 
"  that  you  send  ^~  them  forthwith  ^^  copies  of  these 
"  directions  to  be  by  them  speedily  sent  and  commu- 
"  nicated  ^^  unto  every  parson,  vicar,  curate,  lecturer 
"  and  minister,  in  every  cathedral  ^^  or  parish  church 
"  within  their  several  dioceses,  and  that  you  earnestly 
"  require  them  to  employ  their  uttermost  endeavour, 
"  in  the  performance  of  this  so  important  a  business, 
"  letting  them  know  that  we  have  a  special  ^^  eye 
"  unto  their  proceedings,  and  expect  a  strict  account 
"  thereof  both  ^^  of  you  and  every  one  of  them. 
"  And  these  our  letters  shall  be  your  sufficient 
"  warrant  and  discharge  ^^  in  that  behalf. 

5  seditious  and  dangerous  W.  T.  ^  this  W.  T.  7  disquieting  T. 

8  representation  of  these  inconveniences  unto  us  T.  9  of  the  W .  T. 

10  state  W.  T.  H  straitly  from  iienceforth  observed  and  put  in  practice 

by  the  several  bishops  in  their  (several  \\.)  dioceses  within  your  jurisdictions  T. 
12  them  om.  T.  13  several  copies  T.  1-1  to  T.  ^^  and  T. 

16  eye  to  their  prt)ceeding  T.  17  from  you  and  every  of  them  W.  T. 

IH  in  that  behalf  om.  W . 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  555 

"  Given  under  our  sio^net  at  our  castle  of  Windsor '^•^^.'^^s- 

*-'  2r  James. 

"  this   ^•'  14th   of  August,  in  the   twentieth  year  of 

"  our  reign,"  &c. 

"  Directions  conceiming  P^'eachers"  sent  with  the 
letter  \ 

^1.  "That  no  preacher  under  the  degree  of  a 
"  bishop,  or  a  dean  of  a  cathedral,  or  collegiate 
"  church,  and  that  upon  the  king's  days  and  set 
"  festivals,  do  take  occasion,  by  the  expounding  of 
"  any  text  of  scripture  whatsoever,  to  fall  to  any 
"  set  discourse  or  common  jjlace,  otherwise  than  by 
"  opening  the  coherence  and  division  of  his  text, 
"  which  be  not  comprehended  and  warranted  in 
"  essence,  substance,  effect,  or  natural  inference, 
"  within  some  one  of  the  articles  of  religion,  set 
"  forth  by  authority  in  the  Church  of  England, 
"  and  the  two  books  of  homilies  set  forth  by  the 
*'  same  authority  in  the  year  1562,  or  in  some  of 
"  the  homilies  set  forth  by  authority  of  the  Church 
"  of  England,  not  only  for  the  help  of  non-preach- 
"  ing,  but  withal  for  a  pattern  or  a  boundary,  as  it 
"  were,  for  the  preaching  ministers.  And  for  their 
"  further  instruction  for  the  performance  thereof, 
"  that  they  forthwith  read  over  and  peruse  diligently 
"  the  said  book  of  articles  and  the  two  books  of 
"  homilies. 

2.   '*  That  no  parson,  vicar,    curate,  or    lecturer, 
"  shall   preach    any   sermon    or    collation    hereafter 

19  4th  day  of  August  W.  T. 

»   [Heylyii  thinks  that  arch-  •<     [Cabala,    p.    no.    Loud, 

bishop,  then  bishop,  Laud,  had  1663.    Wilkins' Concil.  vol.  iv. 

a  hand  in  drawing  up  these  di-  p.  465.] 
rections.    Life  of  Laud,  p.  97] 


•556  The  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  I62.^"  upon  Sundays  or  holidays,  in  the  afternoon,  in 
■1 — !!!!!!l  "  any  cathedral  or  parish  church  throughout  the 
"  kingdom,  but  upon  some  part  of  the  Catechism, 
"  or  some  text  taken  out  of  the  Creed,  the  Ten  Com- 
"  mandments,  or  the  Lord's  Prayer,  funeral  sermons 
"  only  excepted ;  and  that  those  preachers  be  most 
"  encouraged  and  approved  of  who  spend  their  after- 
"  noon's  exercises  in  the  examination  of  children  in 
"  their  Catechism,  which  is  the  most  ancient  and 
"  laudable  custom  of  teaching  in  the  Church  of 
"  England. 

3.  "  That  no  preacher  of  what  title  or  denomina- 
"  tion  soever,  under  the  degree  of  a  bishop  or  dean 
"  at  the  least,  do  from  henceforth  presume  to  preach 
"  in  any  popular  auditory  the  deep  points  of  predes- 
"  tination,  election,  reprobation,  or  the  universality, 
"  efficacy,  resistibility  or  irresistibility  of  God's  grace, 
"  but  leave  these  themes  to  be  handled  by  learned 
"  men,  and  that  moderately  and  modestly,  by  way  of 
"  use  and  application,  rather  than  by  way  of  positive 
"  doctrine,  as  being  fitter  for  schools  and  universities 
*'  than  for  simple  auditories. 

4.  "  That  no  preacher,  of  what  title  or  denomi- 
"  nation  soever,  shall  presume  from  henceforth,  in 
"  any  auditory  within  this  kingdom,  to  declare,  limit, 
"  or  bound  out,  by  way  of  positive  doctrine,  in  any 
"  sermon  or  lecture,  the  power,  prerogative,  jurisdic- 
"  tion,  authority,  right  or  duty,  of  sovereign  princes, 
"  or  otherwise  meddle  with  these  matters  of  state, 
"  and  the  differences  betwixt  princes  and  people, 
•'  than  as  they  are  instructed  and  precedented  in  the 
"  homilies  of  obedience,  and  in  the  rest  of  the  homi- 
"  lies  and  articles  of  religion  set  forth  (as  before  is 
"  mentioned)  by  public  authority ;   but  rather  con- 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britmn.  557 

"fine  themselves  wholly  to  these  two  heads,  faith  ^^i^- '^'-.^ 

•^  2  I  James. 

"  and   good  life,    which  are   the  subject  of  ancient 

"  homilies  and  sermons. 

5.  "  That  no  preacher  of  what  title  or  deno- 
*'  mination  soever,  shall  causelessly,  or  without  invi- 
"  tation  of  the  text,  fall  into  bitter  invectives  or 
"  undecent  railing  speeches  against  the  persons  of 
•'  either  Papists  or  Puritans,  but  modestly  and  gravely, 
"  when  they  are  occasioned  thereunto  by  the  text 
"  of  Scripture,  clear  both  the  doctrine  and  disci- 
"  pline  of  the  Church  of  England  from  the  asper- 
"  sions  of  either  adversary,  especially  when  the 
"  auditory  is  suspected  with  the  one  or  the  other 
"  infection. 

6.  "  Lastly,  That  the  archbishops  and  bishops  of 
"  this  kingdom  (whom  his  majesty  hath  good  cause 
"  to  blame  for  their  former  remissness)  be  more  wary 
"  and  choice  in  the  licensing  of  preachers,  and  revoke 
"  all  grants  made  to  any  chancellor,  official,  or  com- 
"  missary,  to  pass  licenses  in  this  kind,  and  that  all 
"  the  lecturers  throughout  the  kingdom  (a  new  body 
"  and  severed  from  the  ancient  clergy  of  England 
"  as  being  neither  parsons,  vicars,  nor  curates)  be 
"  licensed  henceforward  in  the  court  of  faculties, 
"  only  upon  recommendations  of  the  party  from  the 
"  bishop  of  the  diocese,  under  his  hand  and  seal,  with 
"  a  fiat  from  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  a 
"  confirmation  under  the  great  seal  of  England.  And 
"  that  such  as  transgress  any  of  these  directions 
"  be  suspended  by  the  lord  bishop  of  that  diocese,  or 
"  in  his  default  by  the  archbishop  of  that  province, 
"  ab  officio  et  beuejicio,  for  a  year  and  a  day,  until  his 
"  majesty,  by  the  advice  of  the  next  convocation, 
"  shall  prescribe  some  further  punishment." 


558 


The  C/mrch  History 


A.D.  16:3.      5^  No  sooner  were  these  the  kind's  declarations 

21  James.       ...  . 

dispersed  into  every  diocese,  but  various  were  men's 

Various  /   _  *^ 

censures  on  opiuious  thereof.  Some  counted  it  a  cruel  act, 
letters.  "^  which  cut  ofF  half  the  preaching  in  England  (all 
afternoon  sermons)  at  one  blow.  Others  thought 
the  king  did  but  uti  jure  suo,  doing  not  only  what  in 
justice  he  might,  but  what  in  prudence  he  ought,  in 
this  juncture  of  time  '.  But  hear  what  I  have  heard 
and  read  in  this  case. 


Objections, 
I.  Christ  grants  ministers 
their  commission,  Go  teach 
(til  nations.  St.  Paul  corro- 
borates the  same.  Preach  the 
word,  be  instaiit  in  season, 
out  of  season.     Man  there- 

'  ["Theseorders/'saysHack- 
etj  in  Ills  quaint  yeX.  descriptive 
style,  "  were  well  brought  forth, 
"  but  success  was  the  step-mo- 
"  ther.  Destinata  saJubriter 
"  omni  ratiu)ie  i)otenlior for  tuna 
"  discussit.  (Curt.  iii.  8,  29.) 
"  Crossness  and  sturdiness  took 
"  best  with  the  vulgar  ;  and  he 
"  wascountedbutacockneythat 
"  stood  in  awe  of  his  rulers.  No 
"  marvel  if  some  were  brought 
"  to  no  state  of  health,  or  toward 
"  any  temper  of  convalescence, 
"  with  these  mandates.  No- 
"  thing  is  so  hardly  bridled  as 
"  the  tongue,  saith  St.  James, 
"  especially  of  a  misguided  con- 
"■'  science  ;  when  their  bladder 
"  is  full  of  wind  the  least  prick 
'■  will  give  it  eruption.  Curb 
"  cholerical  humours  and  you 
"  press  out  bitterness,  as  it  is 
"  incident  to  those  that  are 
"  straiy-ht-laced    to   have    sour 


Answers. 
I.  Ministers,  if  command- 
ed not  at  all  to  speak,  or  teach 
in  the  name  oj"  Jesus,  are 
with  the  Apostles  to  obey 
God  rather  than  mem.  But 
vast    the   difference    betwixt 

"  breaths.  The  Scottish  bre- 
"  thren  were  acquainted  by  com- 
"  mon  intercourse  with  these 
"  directions,  that  had  nettled 
"  the  aggrieved  pulpitarians  ; 
"  and  they,  says  reverend 
"  Spotswood,  p.  543,  accuse 
"  them  to  be  a  discharge  of 
"  preaching,  at  least  a  confin- 
"  ing  of  preachers  to  certain 
"  points  of  doctrine,  which  they 
"  call  limiting  of  the  Spirit  of 
"  God.  But  the  wiser  sort 
"  judged  them  both  necessary 
"  and  profitable,  considering 
"  the  indiscretion  of  divers  of 
"  that  sort,  who,  to  make  os- 
"  tentation  of  their  learning, 
"  or  to  gain  the  applause  of  the 
"  populace,  would  be  meddling 
"  with  controversies  they  scarce 
"  understand,  and  with  matters 
"  exceeding  the  capacity  of  the 
"  people."  Life  of  Williams, 
p.  90.] 


CENT.   XVII. 


of  Britain. 


559 


fore  ought  not  to  forbid  what 
God  enjoins. 

2.  This  is  the  way  to  starve 
souls,  by  confining  them  to 
one  meal  a  day  ;  or  at  the 
best  by  giving  them  only  a 
mess  of  milk  for  their  supper, 
and  so  to  bed. 

3.  Such  as  are  licensed  to 
make  sermons  may  be  en- 
trusted to  choose  their  own 
texts,  and  not  in  the  after- 
noons to  be  restrained  to  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  Creed,  and 
Ten  Commandments. 

4.  In  prohibiting  the 
preaching  of  Predestination, 
man  makes  that  the  forbidden 
fruit  which  God  appointed 
for  the  tree  of  life ;  so  cor- 
dial the  comforts  contained 
therein   to  a  distressed  con- 


5.  Bishops  and  deans,  (for- 
sooth,) and  none  under  their 
dignity,  may  preach  of  Pre- 
destination. What  is  this 
but  to  have  the  word  uf' God 
in  respect  of  persons  ?  As  if 
all  discretion  were  confined 
to  cathedral  men,  and  they 
best  able  to  preach  who  use 
it  the  least. 


a   total   prohibition,  and   (as  A.  D.  1623. 

Ux                 1      .•    1            '2'  James. 
Hs  case)  a  prudential  re- 

gulation  of  preaching. 

2.  Milk  (catechetical  doc- 
trine) is  best  for  babes,  which 
generally  make  up  more  than 
a  moiety  of  every  congrega- 
tion. 

3.  Such  restraint  hath  li- 
berty enough,  seeingall  things 
are  clearly  contained  in,  or 
justly  reducible  to,  these 
three,  which  are  to  be  desired, 
believed,  and  performed. 

4.  Indeed,  Predestination 
solidly  and  soberly  handled, 
is  an  antidote  against  despair. 
But,  asmany  ignorant  preach- 
ers ordered  it,  the  cordial  was 
turned  into  a  poison ;  and 
therefore  such  mysteries 
might  well  be  forborne  by 
mean  ministers  in  popular 
congregations. 

5.  It  must  be  presumed 
that  such  of  necessity  must 
be  of  age  and  experience,  and 
may  in  civility  be  believed  of 
more  than  ordinary  learning, 
before  they  attained  such 
preferment.  Besides,  cathe- 
dral auditories  being  of  a 
middle  nature  for  under- 
standing, (as  beneath  the 
university,  so  above  common 
city   and   country  congrega- 


560 


The  Church  Historic 


BOOK   X. 


A.  n.  ir)2.v 

2  r  James. 


tions,)  are  fitter  for  such  liigh 
points  to  be  preached  therein- 

6.  The  king's  letter  looks 
on  both  under  tlie  notion  of 
guilty  persons.  Had  Puri- 
tans been  placed  first,  such 
as  now  take  exception  at  their 
postponing  would  have  col- 
lected, that  the  king  esteem- 
ed them  the  greatest  of- 
fenders. 

7.  Lectures  are  no  crea- 
tures of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, by  their  original,  (like 
those  mixed  kinds,  little  bet- 
ter than  monsters  in  nature, 
to  which  God,  as  here  the 
state,  never  ,said,  Multiply 
and  increase,)  and  therefore 
the  king  had  just  cause  to 
behold  them  with  jealous 
eyes,  who  generally  supplant- 
ed the  incumbents  of  livings 
in  the  affections  of  their  pa- 
rishioners, and  gave  the  great- 
est growth  to  nonconformity. 

These  instructions  from  his  majesty  were  not 
pressed  with  equal  rigour  in  all  places,  seeing  some 
over  active  officials,  more  busy  than  their  bishops, 
tied  up  preachers  in  the  afternoon  to  the  very  letter 
of  the  Catechism,  questioning  them  if  exceeding 
the  questions  and  answers  therein,  as  allowing  them 
no  liberty  to  dilate  and  enlarge  themselves  there- 
upon "\ 


6.  Papists  and  Puritans 
in  the  king"'s  letters  are  put 
into  the  same  balance,  and 
papists  in  the  prime  scale 
first  named,  as  preferred  in 
the  king's  care,  chiefly  to 
secure  them  from  invectives 
in  sermons. 

7.  Lecturersaremadesuch 
riddles  in  the  king's  letters, 
reducible  to  no  ministerial 
function  in  England.  Where- 
as indeed,  the  flower  of  piety 
and  power  of  godliness  flou- 
rished most  in  those  places 
where  such  preachers  are 
most  countenanced. 


™  [See  the  letter  of  the  arch-      Abbot,  in  further  explanation 
bishop  of  Canterbury,  George     of    these     directions.       Dated 


CKNT.  XVII. 


of  Britain.  561 


6.  Expect  not  of  mc  a  jjarticiilar  account  of  the  a.  i).  1623. 

,      .  ,  .  ,   .  ^        L'  •    1  i    1  - '  James- 

politic  intricacies  touching  the  Spanish  match,  or  no 

match  rather.  First,  ])ecause  Spanish,  and  so  alien  ^,,"e^f'^"* 
from  my  subject.  Hecondly,  because  the  passages  ^^''"^*"i- 
thereof  are  so  largely  and  publicly  in  print.  Thirdly, 
because  in  fine  it  proved  nothing,  though  kept  on 
foot  so  long,  till  king  James,  by  endeavouring  to 
gain  a  daughter-in-law,  had  in  effect  lost  his  own 
daughter,  her  husband  and  children  being  reduced 
to  D-reat  extremities. 

7.  Truly   king  James   never  affected  his   son-in-  ■'»  crown 

.  not  joyed 

law's  acceptance  of  the  Bohemian  crown,  nor  pro- in. 
mised  himself  any  good  success  thence,  though  great 
the  hope  of  the  German  Protestants  therein.     In- 
deed, some  of  them  were  too  credulous  of  a  blind 
prophecy  commonly  current  amongst  them — 

POST    TER    VIGINTI,    CESSABIT    GLORIA    QL INTI  ; 

expecting  the  ending  of  the  Austrian  family,  sixty 
years  being  now  expired  since  the  death  of  Charles 
the  Fifth;  but  discreet  persons  slighted  such  vanities, 
and  the  quinti  had  like  to  have  proved  the  extirpa- 
tion of  Frederick,  fifth  of  that  name,  palatine  of 
Rhine,  had  not  God  almost  miraculously  lately 
countermanded  it°. 

Sept,    4.    1622,     in    Wilkins'  "gravest  and    most  moderate 

Concil.    vol.  iv.    p.  466.      This  "  counsellors,    to    fix   on     any 

letter  of  the  archbishop  is  ex-  "  thing  conducible  to  the  peace 

tremelv  deserving  of  attention,  "  and  happine.ss  of  the  church, 

and  contains  also  the  best  de-  "  but  what  must  be  traduced 

fence    of     these     injunctions,  "  and  made  odious  in  the  sight 

which,  strange  to  say,    caused  "  of  the  people  by  the  reports 

great  heat  and  dissensions,  espe-  "  and  artifices  of  those  trouble- 

cially  with  the  Puritan  party.  "  some  spirits."     Life  of  Laud, 

"  So  impossible  was  it  for  that  p.  100.] 

"  king,"  to  use  Heylyn's  words,  "   LThe    States    of   Holland 

"  and  as  impossible  for  his  son  were    most    earnest   in   urging 

"  and  successor,  assisted  by  the  the  prince  to  accept  the  Bohe- 

FULLKR,  VOi..  v.  O  O 


562 


The  Church  History 


BOOK    X. 


A.  D.  1623.      8.  Yea,  kino-  James   privately  foretold  to  some 

2 1  James.         .       .  '  , 

principal  persons  that  this  matter  would  prove  the 

KingJames        .  o    i   •        1  i  mi  i 

accused  by  I'uui  ot  his  daughter.      lliere  want  not  some  who 

'"""*^"         say,  that  he  Avent  about  to  verify  his  own  prediction, 

by  not  sending  seasonable  succours  for  their  assistance, 

who  had  he  turned  his  embassies  into  armies,  might 

probably  have  prevented  much  Protestant  misery °. 


mian  crown.  But  their  con- 
dxict,  like  that  of  most  of  the 
prince's  advisers,  was  influenced 
by  motives  of  self-interest. 
They  were  anxious,  as  all  other 
means  had  failed,  to  engage 
king  James  in  a  war  with  the 
house  of  Austria,  their  own 
truce  with  Spain  being  nearly 
at  an  end.  And  the  king's  re- 
luctance, or  rather  inability,  to 
engage  in  a  war  with  Spain  and 
the  emperor,  made  him  doubt- 
less adverse  to  assist  in  these 
schemes.  Howell,  in  a  letter 
written  about  this  time,  allud- 
ing to  these  circumstances,  ob- 
serves :  "  What  his  majesty  will 
"  do  hereafter  I  uill  not  pre- 
"  sume  to  foretell,  but  hitherto 
*'  he  hath  given  little  counte- 
"  ance  to  the  business,  nay, 
"  he  utterly  misliked  it  at  first  ; 
"  for  whereas  Dr.  Hall  gave  the 
"  prince  palsgrave  the  title  of 
"  king  of  Bohemia  in  his  pul- 
"  pit  prayer,  he  had  a  check 
"  for  his  pains  ;  for  I  heard  his 
"  majesty  should  say,  that  there 
"  is  an  implicit  tie  among 
"  kings,  which  obligeth  them, 
"  though  there  be  no  other  iur 
"  strument  or  particular  eu- 
"  iiayrement,  to  stick  to  and 
*'  right  one  another  upon  an  in- 
"  surrection  of  subjects;  there- 
"  fore  he  had  more  reason  to  be 
"  ae;ainst  the  liohemians,  than 


"  to  adhere  to  them  in  the  de- 
"  position  of  their  sovereign 
"  prince."     Letters,  p.  8j.] 

o  [Howell  gives  an  amusing 
instance  of  this  in  one  of  his 
lively  letters,  dated  10th  June, 
1622.  "  The  last  week  I  heard 
"  of  a  play  the  Jesuits  of  Ant- 
"  werp  made  in  derogation,  or 
"  rather  derision,  of  the  pro- 
"  ceedings  of  the  prince  pals- 
"  grave,  where,  among  divers 
"  other  passages,  they  feigned 
"  a  post  to  come  puffing  upon 
"  the  stage  ;  and  being  asked 
"  what  news,  he  answered,  how 
"  the  palsgrave  was  like  to  have 
"  shortly  a  huge  formidable 
"  army,  for  the  king  of  Den- 
"  mark  was tosendhim  100,000, 
"  the  Hollanders  100,000,  and 
"  the  king  of  Great  Britain 
"  100,000;  but  being  asked 
"  thousands  of  what }  he  re- 
"  plied.  The  first  would  send 
"  him  100,000  red  herrings, 
"  the  second  100,000  cheeses, 
"  and  the  last  100,000  embas- 
"  sadors  ;  alluding  to  sir  Rich- 
"  ard  Weston  and  sir  Edward 
"  Conway,  my  lord  Carlisle, 
"  sir  Arthur  Chichester,  and 
"  lastly,  the  lord  Digby,  who 
"  have  been  all  employed  in 
"  quality  of  embassadors  in  less 
"  than  two  years,  since  the  be- 
"  ginning  of  these  German 
"  broils."  Letters,  p.  105.] 


CENT.  XVII.  ()/' Britain.  5()3 

9.  Others  excuse    king    James,  partly   from   the  a. d.  1633. 

just  hopes  lie  had  to  accommodate  all  interests  in  a ^ 1 

peaceable  way;   partly  from  the  difficulty  of  convey- by  others, 
ing  effectual  forces  into  so  far  distant  a  country  p. 

10.  Meantime  both  the  })alatinates  "vvere  lost,  tlieB«>ti>.t^»e 

,  ,  ,  -111  palatinates 

upper  seized  on  by  the  emperor,  the  nether  (but  lost. 
higher  in  value)  by  the  king  of  Spain  ;  the  city 
of  Heidelberg  taken  and  plundered,  and  the  ines- 
timable library  of  books  therein  carried  over  the 
Alps  on  mules'  backs  to  Rome.  Each  mule  laden 
with  that  learned  burthen  had  a  silver  plate  on  his 
forehead,  whereon  was  engraven  fero  bibliothe- 
CAM  PRiNCiPis  PALATINI.  Now  thoso  books  are 
placed  in  the  pope's  Vatican,  entitling  Protestants 
to  visit  the  place,  who  one  day  may  have  as  good 
success  as  now  they  have  just  right  to  recover 
them. 

11.  As  for  the  palatinate,  satirical  tongues  com- Land  of 
monly  called  it  the  land  of  promise,  so  frequently  nowiind of 
and  so  solemnly  was  the  restitution  thereof  promised  L'^ee!'™ 
to  king  James,  fed  only  with  delays,  which  amounted 

to   mannerly  denials.     Since    it   hath   pleased    God 
to  turn   this  land  of  promise  into   a    land   of  per- 

P  [It  would  have  been  mad-  the  Cabala,  p.  102.   At  the  same 

ness,  in  the  extreme,  for  king  time  James  felt  deejjly  for  the 

James,   with    a    ruined  exche-  misfortunes  of  his  son-in-law, 

quer  and  no  definite  or  fixed  re-  as  maybe  seen  in  his  various 

sources,  to  have  plunged  himself  letters.     The  only  relief  which 

into  a  war  with  half  Europe ;  the  king  could  obtain  or  hope 

andthat.inbehalf  of  a  kingdom,  to  gain  was  by  mediation  and 

which  could  he  liave  won   for  treaty,  and  they  who  smile  at 

his  son,  would  never  have  been  his  proceedings  in  this  business 

retained.       With    what    little  would    do   well   to    shew   how 

prudence  the  promoters  of  this  otherwise  he  could  have  acted, 
war  acted,  and  upon  what  vain  See  some  just  remarks  upon 

and    chimerical    schemes    they,  the  temper  of  the  nation  at  that 

relied  for  success,  may  be  seen  time  in  Hacket's  Life  of  Wil- 

by  archbishop  Abbot's  letter  in  Hams,  p.  79.] 


564  The  C/iurch  Hi^tort/  liooK  x. 

A.  D.  1623.  formaiicei,    the    present    palatine    being    peaceably 

21  James.  i    ,  1  ^ 

possessed  thereor. 

Prince  12.  Prince  Charles,  with  the  duke  of  Buckine-ham, 

Charles  ^  ' 

goes  to  lately  went  privately  through  France,  where  he  saw 
the  lady,  (whom  afterwards  he  married,)  into  Spain. 
It  is  questionable  whether  then  more  blamed  king- 
James  for  sending  him'",  or  afterwards  blessed  God 
for  his  safe  return  ^  Sumptuous  his  entertainment 
in  the  Spanish  court,  where  it  was  not  the  king's 
fault  but  kingdom's  defect,  that  any  thing  was  Avant- 
ing.  He  quickly  discovered  (the  coarseness  of  fine 
pretending  wares  at  distance  are  easily  confuted 
near  hand)  that  the  Spanish  state  had  no  mind  or 
meaning  of  a  match,  as  who  demanded  such  un- 
reasonable liberty  in  education  of  the  royal  offspring, 
(in  case  any  were  born  betwixt  them,)  and  other 
privileges  for  English  papists,  that  the  king  neither 
could  nor  would  in  honour  or  conscience  consent 
thereunto.  However,  prince  Charles  (whose  person 
was  in  their  power)  took  his  fair  farewell  with  court- 
eous compliance. 

His  return,  IQ.  Though  he  entered  Spain  like  a  private  person, 
he  departed  it  like  himself  and  the  son  of  his  father, 
a  stately  fleet  attending  him  home*.  Foul  weather 
forced  them  to  put  in  at  the  Isle  of  Scilly,  (the 
parings  of  England,  south-west  of  Cornwall,)  where 

q  The  nether  palatinate.  "  him   so  to  do  by   proclama- 

"^    [Or    rather    Buckingham.  "  tion,)  yet  he  sticks  at  it,  and 

Thus  Williams,  writing  to  the  "  nianv  times  casts  it  upon  you 

duke     shortly    after     his    de-  "both."   Hacket's  Life  of  Wil- 

parture,    says:    "In  sooth   all  liams,   p.]  17.      See  also  Cla- 

"  the  court  and  the  rabble  of  rendon's  Rebel,  vol.  i.  p.  20.] 
"  the    people   lay   this  voyage  ^   [Ileylyn's  Life  of  Laud, 

"  upon    your    lordship.       The  p.  101.] 

"  king  would  seem  sometimes,  .      *  The  reader  is  requested  to 

"  as  I  hear,  to  take  it  to  him-  pardon  our  short  setting  l>ack 

'•  self,    (and    we  have   advised  of  time. 


(EXT.   XVII. 


of  Bntain. 


56L 


in  two  days  they  fed  on  more  and  better  flesh  than 
they  found  in  Spain  for  many  months.  Soon  after 
he  arrived  at  Portsmouth,  and  the  next  day  came 
to  London,  to  the  great  rejoicing  of  all  sorts  of 
people,  signified  by  their  bonfires,  ringing  of  bells, 
with  other  external  expressions  of  joy". 

13.  King  James  now  despaired  of  any  restitution, 
especially  since  the  duke  of  Bavaria  was  invested  in 
the  upper  palatinate,  and  so  his  son-in-law's  land 
cantoned  betwixt  a  duke,  a  king,  and  an  emperor. 
Whose  joint  consent  being  requisite  to  the  restoring 
thereof,  one  would  be  sure  to  dissent  from  the  seeming 
consenting  of  other  two.  Whereupon  king  James 
not  only  broke  off  all  treaty  with  Spain,  but  also 
called  the  great  council  of  his  kingdom  together. 

14.  Indeed,  the  malecontents  in  England  used 
to  say,  That  the  king  took  physic  and  called  parlia- 
ments both  alike,  using  both  for  mere  need,  and  not 


A.  D. 1623. 

2  I  James. 


The  palati- 
nate belielil 
desperate. 


A  happy 
parliament. 


^  [Dr.  Ryves,  in  a  letter  to 
Usher,  then  bishop  of  Aleath, 
thus  describes  the  arrival  of  the 
prince,  and  the  joy  manifested 
by  the  people  on  that  occasion: 
"  Now  at  the  last,  thanks  be 
"  to  our  good  God,  we  have 
"  our  prince  again  ;  he  came  to 
"  London  on  IMonday  morning 
"  last,  being  the  6th  of  this 
"  present,  at  eight  of  the  clock 
"  in  the  morning  ;  it  was  my 
"  hap  to  be  at  Lambeth  at  that 
"  time  with  my  lord  of  Canter- 
"  bury;  and  whilst  I  was  there, 
"  the  prince  came  to  Lambeth 
"  stairs,  where  his  grace  receiv- 
"  ed  him  and  kissed  his  hand  ; 
"  and  from  thence  in  his  grace's 
"  barge  Avent  to  York  house, 
"  where  he  brake  his  fast,  and 
"  presently  went  away  to  Roy- 


"  ston,  where  the  king  then  was 
"  and  is.  News  of  his  lodging 
"  that  night  at  Guildford  came 
"  to  his  grace  of  Canterbury  that 
"  morning  at  three  of  the  clock, 
"  and  presently  all  London 
"  rang  with  bells  and  flamed 
"  with  bonfires,  and  resounded 
"  all  over  with  such  shouts,  as 
"  is  not  well  possible  to  ex- 
"  press.  The  day,  without  bid- 
"  ding,  was  kept  festival  by 
"  every  man  ;  whereof  because 
"  I  took  such  pleasure  in  see- 
"  ing  it,  I  conceive  your  lord- 
"  ship  will  also  take  some  plea- 
"  sure  in  hearing  the  relation." 
Parr's  Lett,  of  Usher,  p.  301. 
Compare  also  Racket's  curious 
and  important  narrative.  Life 
of  Williams,  p.  165.] 


566  The  Church  Histori/  uook  x. 

A.  D.  1623.  caring  for  neither  how  little  time  they  lasted.     But 
"'  now  there  happened  as  sweet  a  compliance  betwixt 


the  king  and  his  subjects  as  ever  happened  in  man's 
memory,  the  king  not  asking  more  than  what  was 
granted.  Both  houses  in  the  name  of  the  whole 
kingdom  promising  their  assistance  with  their  lives 
and  fortunes  for  the  recovery  of  the  palatinate.  A 
smart  petition  was  presented  against  the  Papists, 
and  order  promised  for  the  education  of  their  chil- 
dren in  true  religion''. 
The  convo-      \^^  ^g   for   the  couvocation    contemporary   with 

cation.  ^  *' 

this  parliament,  large  subsidies  were  granted  by  the 
clergy,  otherwise  no  great  matter  of  moment  passed 
therein.  1  am  informed  doctor  Joseph  Hall  preached 
the  Latin  sermon,  and  doctor  Donne  was  the  pro- 
locutor. 
Dr.  Donne  l6.  This  is  that  doctor  Donne,  born  in  London, 
(but  extracted  from  Wales,)  by  his  mother's  side 
great  great  grandchild  to  sir  Thomas  More,  whom 
he  much  resembled  in  his  endowments :  a  great  tra- 
veller, first,  secretary  to  the  lord  Egerton,  and  after, 
by  the  persuasion  of.king  James,  (and  encourage- 
ment of  bishop  ]\Iorton,)  entered  into  orders,  made 
doctor  of  divinity  (of  Trinity  College  in  Cambridge) 
and  dean  of  St.  Paul's,  whose  life  is  no  less  truly 
than  elegantly  written  by  my  worthily  respected 
friend,  Mr.  Isaac  Walton,  whence  the  reader  may 
store  himself  with  further  information. 
A  book  17.    A   book  was  translated  out   of  the   French 

theied  on    copy,  by  Abraham  Darcye,  intitled,  "  The  Original 
saubon.'      "  of  Idolatry,"  pretended  made  by  Dr.  Isaac  Casau- 
bon,    dead    ten   years    before,    dedicated    to    })rince 

^  [Printed  in  Prynne's  Hid.      Rushworth  copied   it  into   his 
Works,    p.  62,  63,  from  whom      Collect.,  vol.i.  p.  141] 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain .  567 

Charles,   but   presenter!   to  king  James  and  all  the  a. n.  1623. 

I,  ,.1  •■  All  •  I'll  1^'  .James. 

lords   01   the  council.     A    book   printed   in    brencli 

before  the  said  Isaac  Casaubon  was  born,  whose 
name  was  fraudulently  inserted  in  the  titlepage  of 
the  foregoing  copy. 

18.  Merick  Casaubon,   his   son,   then   student   ofThefaise- 
Christ  Church,  by  letter,  informed  king  James  of  thetected. 
wrong  done  to  his  father,  by  making  him  the  author 

of  such  a  book,  contrary  to  his  genius  and  constant 
profession,  being  full  of  impertinent  allegations,  out 
of  obscure  and  late  authors,  whom  his  father  never 
thought  worthy  of  reading,  much  less  the  using  their 
authority.  His  majesty  was  much  incensed  hereat, 
and  doctor  ISIountain,  bishop  of  London,  had  much 
ado  to  make  his  chaplain's  peace  for  licensing 
thereof,  the  printer  and  translator  being  for  some 
time  kept  in  prison. 

19.  Yet  after  all  this,  and  after  Merick  Casaubon  "^'et  still 

continued. 

had  written  a  Latin  vindication  y  to  give  satisfaction 
to  all,  the  same  translation  since  is  printed  in  Am- 
sterdam, with  a  justificatory  preface  of  the  former 
edition.  So  impudent  are  some  falsely  to  father 
books  on  worthy  authors,  to  make  them  more  vend- 
ible for  their  own  profit,  though  it  discredit  the 
memory  of  others. 

20.  The  business  of  the   palatinate  being   nowNoneof  tiie 
debated   by  martialists,  the   king's   council   of  war,  sei. 
dissuading  from  regaining  it  in  kind,  advised  him 
rather  to  recover  it  in  value  where  he  could  with 

the  best  conveniency  out  of  the  Spanish  dominions : 
for  the  palatinate  was  not  worth  the  rewinning, 
which  (grant  recovered  by  the  English)  could  not 
recover  itself  for  many  years,  such  the  havoc  and 

y   [In  Liitiii,  French,  and  English,  published  in  1624.] 


568 


The  Church  History 


HOOK    X, 


A.D.  if.23.  waste  made   therein.     Secondly,  it  was  bard  to  be 

2 1  James. 

gotten,    such    the   distance   tbereof,    and   harder  to 

be  kept,  so  ill-neighboured  it  was  on  all  sides.  So 
that  the  king,  if  so  pleased,  might  with  as  much 
honour  and  more  ease  carve  out  his  own  reparations 
nearer  home. 


During  these  agitations,  king  James  fell  sick 


KinjT.Tanies         21 

falletli  sick.  ^^,         iii?,»  •  i  ht. 

at  iheobalds  or  a  tertian  ague,  commonly  called  m 
spring;    for  a  king  rather  physical  than  dangerous. 
But  soon  after  his  ague  was  heightened  into  a  fever; 
four  mischiefs  meeting-  therein. 
Aconflu-        22.  First,  the  malignity  of  the  malady,  in  itself 

enceof  four  i         o  ii 

mischiefs,  hard  to  be  cured.  Secondly,  an  aged  person  of 
sixty  years  current.  Thirdly,  a  plethoric  body  full 
of  ill  humours.  Fourthly,  the  king's  averseness  to 
physic,  and  impatience  under  it.  Yet  the  last  was 
quickly  removed  above  expectation  ;  the  king  (con- 
trary to  his  custom)  being  very  orderable  in  all  his 
sickness.  Such  sudden  alterations  some  apprehend 
a  certain  prognostic  of  death,  as  if  when  men's  minds 
acquire  new  qualities  they  begin  to  habit  and  clothe 
themselves  for  a  new  world. 

A  plaster        23.  The  couutess  of  Buckingham  contracted  much 

applied  to  .    . 

his  wrists;  suspiciou  to  liersclf  and  her  son,  for  applying  a 
plaster  to  the  king's  wrists  without  the  consent  of 
his  physicians.  And  yet  it  plainly  appeared  that 
Dr.  John  Remington,  of  Dunmow  in  Essex,  made 
the  same  plaster,  (one  honest,  able,  and  successful 
in  his  practice,  who  had  cured  many  patients  by  the 
same,)  a  piece  whereof  applied  to  the  king  one 
eat  down  into  his  belly  without  the  least  hurt  or 
disturbance  of  nature.  However,  after  the  applying 
thereof,  the  king  grew  worse  ^. 

=^    [For  an   account  of  this  last    sickness  and   death    of  the 


CENT.  XVII. 


of  Britain. 


569 


24.  The  physicians   refused  to  administer  physic  a.  d.  1623. 

unto   him   till  the   plasters   were    taken   off,   which '11— L 

being  done  accordingly,  his  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh  without  the 
fits  were  easier,  (as  Dr.  Chambers   said.)       On  the  i',fjp}^  "j. 
JMonday  after  the  plasters  were  laid  on  again,  with-'^'""'* 
out  the  advice  of  the  physicians,  and  his  majesty  grew 
Morse  and  worse,  so  that  INIr.  Hayes  (the  king's  chi- 
rurgeon)  was  called  out  of  his  bed  to  take  off  the 
plasters.     Mr.  Baker  (the  duke's  servant)  made  the 
king  a  julip,  which  the  duke  brought  to  the  king 
with  his  own  hand,  of  which  the  king  drank  twice, 
but  refused  the  third  time.     After  his  death,  a  bill 


king,  see  Racket's  Life  of  Wil- 
liams, p.  122,  whose  account 
is  the  more  to  be  depended  on, 
since  Williams  was  much  with 
the  king  upon  this  melancholy 
occasion.  One  circumstance 
among  others  is  mentioned  by 
him,  (which  is  generally  over- 
looked,) upon  the  authority  of 
the  great  Dr.  Harvev  :  "  that 
"  the  king  used  to  have  a  bene- 
"  ficial  evacuation  of  nature,  a 
"  sweating  in  his  left  arm,  as 
"  helpful  to  him  as  any  fontinel 
"  could  be,  which  of  late  had 
"  failed  ;  and  that  argued  that 
"  the  former  vigor  of  nature 
"  was  low  and  spent."  Such 
people  generally  enjoy  good 
health,  and  the  prevention  or 
stopj)ing  of  such  natural  assist- 
ances generally  proves  fatal. 
This  account  is  also  borne  out 
by  bishop  Goodman.  How- 
ever, many  of  those  scandalous 
authors,  who  about  the  time  of 
the  Commonwealth  published 
memoirs  and  pamphlets  relative 
to  the  history  of  this  king  and 
his  son,  did  not  scruple  to  at- 
tribute the  death  of  king  James 
Fur.i.KR,  vol,.  V. 


to  poison.  Clarendon  informs 
us  "  that  after  a  short  indispo- 
"  sition  by  the  gout,  [the  king] 
"  fell  into  an  ague,  which, 
"  meeting  many  humors  in  a 
"  fat  unwieldy  body  of  fifty- 
"  eight  years  old,  in  four  or 
"  five  fits  carried  him  out  of 
"  the  world.  After  whose  death 
"  many  scandalous  and  libel- 
"  lous  discourses  were  raised 
"  without  the  least  color  or 
"  ground  ;  as  appeared  upon 
"  the  strictest  and  most  niali- 
"  cious  examination  that  could 
"  be  made,  long  after  in  a  time 
"  of  license,  when  nobody  was 
"  afraid  of  offending  majesty, 
"  and  when  prosecuting  the 
"  highest  reproaches  and  con- 
"  tumelies  against  the  royal 
"  family  was  held  meritorious." 
Hist,  of  the  Rebel,  vol.  i.  p.  43. 
The  administering  of  this  po- 
tion and  plaister  made  part  of 
the  charge  which  the  Commons 
brought  against  the  duke  in 
the  second  year  of  king  James' 
successor.  (See  Rush  worth, 
vol.i.  p.  354.)] 

p  |> 


570 


The  Church  History 


A.D.  1623.  was  brought  to  the  physicians  to  sign,  that  the  ingre- 

'-  clients  of  the  julip  and  phisters  were  safe ;  but  most 

refused  it,  because  they  knew  not  whether  the  in- 
gredients mentioned  in  the  bill  were  the  same  in  the 
julip  and  plasters.  This  is  the  naked  truth  delivered 
by  oath  from  the  ])hysicians  to  a  select  committee 
two  years  after,  when  parliament  voted  the  duke's  act 
a  transcendent  presumption,  though  most  thought  it 
done  without  any  ill  intention  ^. 


a  [Sanderson,  whose  history 
has  been  most  unjustly  abused 
by  Wood  and  the  infamous 
Welwood,  gives  substantially 
the  same  account  of  the  king's 
death  as  our  author,  but  with 
some  additional  and  curious 
facts.  "  In  the  entrance  of  the 
"  spring,"  he  says,  "  the  king 
"  was  seized  with  a  tertian 
"  aguej  which  to  another  con- 
"  stitution  was  not  pestilential, 
"  but  rather  might  prove  phy- 
"  sical.  But  all  men  then  knew 
*'  his  impatience  in  any  pain, 
"  and  always  utter  enmity  to 
"  any  physic,  (See  this  vo- 
"  lume,  p.  565,)  so  that  nothing 
"  was  ministered  to  give  him 
"  ease  in  his  fits  ;  which  at 
"  length  grew  violent.  And  in 
"  those  maladies  every  one  is 
"  apt  to  offer  advice,  with  such 
"  prescriptions  as  have  been 
"  useful  unto  others  :  and  in 
"  truth,  those  as  various  as  the 
"  disease  is  common. 

"  In  this  time  of  the  king's 
"  retire  the  duke  got  leave 
"  to  visit  his  estate  at  New- 
"  Hall,  in  Essex,  where  the  earl 
"  of  ^^'arwick  told  him  that  a 
"  near  neighbour,  Dr.  Reming- 
"  ton,  at  Dunniow,  had  cured 
"  many,  and  himself  also,  of  a 


quartan  ague,  which  had  last- 
ed a  long  time.  The  king 
being  told  this,  commanded 
the  duke  to  send  for  the  me- 
dicine, which  was  a  plaister  of 
mithridate,  made  and  spread 
upon  leather,  and  delivered 
from  his  hand  to  one  Mr.  Ba- 
ker, a  servant  of  the  duke's 
then,  and  now  living  near  to 
the  earl,  and  so  by  that  mes- 
senger brought  to  the  king, 
and  shewed  to  the  doctors, 
and  lay  ready  prepared  upon 
the  table,  until  proper  time  to 
be  applied  to  his  stomach, 
together  with  a  posset  drink 
of  milk  and  ale,  hartshorn 
and  marygold  flowers,  ingre- 
dients harmless  and  ordinary, 
which  the  duke  gave  him  to 
drink,  and  so  took  leave  and 
went  to  London. 
"  The  king  fallen  into  slum- 
ber about  noon,  the  physi- 
cians took  opportunity  to  re- 
tire, having  watched  all  night 
till  that  time.  When  in  the 
interim  of  their  absence, 
the  king  awakes  and  falls 
from  a  change  of  his  fit,  un- 
to timelier  effect,  than  usu- 
ally it  had  happened  before  : 
which  to  allay  this  plaister 
was   offered    and  put  to  his 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  571 

25.  Four  days  before  his  death,  he  desired  to  re- a.  d.  1623. 
ceive  the  sacrament;  and  beinoc  demanded  whether 

,        .  ^        •  p      Catechised 

he  was   prepared  in  point  of  faitli  and  charity  for  on  his  death 

,  •  1       1  1  *'ed  ill  his 

so  great  mysteries,  he  saitl  lie  was,  and  gave  jaith  and 
humble  thanks  to  Cod  for  the  same.  Being  cle-**"*^" 
sired  to  declare  his  ftiith,  and  what  he  thought  of 
those  books  he  had  written  in  that  kind,  he  re- 
peated the  articles  of  the  Creed  one  by  one,  and 
said,  '"he  believed  them  all  as  they  were  received 
"  and  expounded  by  that  part  of  the  catholic  church 
"  which  was  established  here  in  England."  And 
said,  with  a  kind  of  sprightfulness  and  vivacity,  "  that 
"  whatever  he  had  written  of  this  faith  in  his  life,  he 
'*  was  now  ready  to  seal  with  his  death."  Being 
questioned  in  point  of  charity,  he  answered  presently, 
"  that  he  forgave  all  men  that  offended  him,  and 
"  desired  to  be  forgiven  by  all  Christians  whom  he 
"  in  any  wise  had  offended." 

26.  Then,  after  absolution  read  and  pronounced,  His  death. 

,  2  7thMarch, 

he  received  the  sacrament ;  and  some  hours  after  he  1625. 
jirofessed  to  the  standers  by,  "  that  they  could  not 
"  imaoine  what  ease  and  comfort  he  found  in  him- 

o 

"stomach.     But  it  wrought  no  "  upon  their  scores.    Sir  Mat- 

"  mitigation^  and  therefore  was  "  thew  Lister,    Dr.  Chambers, 

"  removed  by  the  doctors,  who  "  and  other  physicians,  worthy 

"  were  much  offended  that  any  "  men,    who   were   herein   ex- 

"  one  durst  assume  this  bold-  "  amined  with   very  great   sa- 

"  ness   without   their   consent.  "  tisfaction  to   clear    that   ca- 

"  But  by  after  examination  all  "  lumny,  and  are  yet  living  to 

"  men   then    were    assured    of  "  evince  each  one's  suspicion." 

"  the  composition,  and  a  piece  The   author   then   proceeds  to 

"  thereof  eaten  down  by  such  give  the  secret  historv,  or  ra- 

"  as  made  it,  and  the  plaister  ther  knavery,   of   Egglisliam's 

"  many  months  afterwards   in  pamphlet,  who  first  gave  cur- 

"  being,  for  further  trial  of  any  rency  to  the  report  of  the  king's 

"  suspicion  of  })oison  ;  which,  having   been    poisoned   by   the 

•'  if   not    satisfactory    now,    it  duke.        Reign     of    James    I. 

"must    and    ought    to    lodge  p-59i] 


572  Tlie  Church  History  book  x. 

A.  D.  1623. "  self  since  the  receiving  hereof;"    and  so  quietly 

21  James.  •  i   i  •  i  ^1      1     ,  1  ^ 

— resigned  his  soul  to  God,  having  reigned  twenty-two 

years  and  three  days. 
Of  a  peace-      27,  fje  was  of  a  peaceable  disposition.     Indeed, 

able  nature.  ^  '■ 

when  he  first  entered  England,  at  Berwick,  he  him- 
self gave  fire  to,  and  shot  off,  a  piece  of  ordnance'', 
and  that  with  good  judgment.     This  was  the  only 
military  act  personally  performed  by  him ;  so  that 
he   may  have  seemed  in   that  cannon  to  have  dis- 
charged war  out  of  England. 
lityiessre-'      ^^-  Comiug  to  York,  he  was  somewhat  amazed 
T'^com''^  with  the  equipage   of  the  northern  lords  repairing 
monness     uuto  him,  (especially  with  the  earl  of  Cumberland's,) 
admiring  there  should  be  in  England  so  many  kings, 
for  less  he  could  not  conjecture  them,  such  the  mul- 
titude and  gallantry  of  their  attendance.     But  (fol- 
lowing the  counsel   of  his   English  secretary  there 
present)   he  soon  found  a  way  to  abate  the  formi- 
dable greatness  of  the  English  nobility,  by  conferring 
honour   upon  many   persons,  whereby  nobility  was 
spread  so    broad,  that    it  became   very  thin,  which 
much  lessened  the  ancient  esteem  thereof. 
His  eio-  29.  He  was  very  eloquent  in  speech,  whose  Latin 

had  no  fault  but  that  it  was  too  good  for  a  king, 
whom  carelessness  (not  curiosity)  becomes  in  that 
kind.  His  Scotch  tone  he  rather  affected  than 
declined;  and  though  his  speaking  spoiled  his  speech 
in  some  English  ears,  yet  the  masculine  worth  of  his 
set  orations  commanded  reverence,  if  not  admiration, 
in  all  judicious  hearers ;  but  in  common  speaking 
(as  in  his  hunting,  he  stood  not  on  the  cleanest  but 
nearest  way)  he  would  never  go  about  to  make  any 
expressions. 

^  Stowe's  Clirou.  p.  810. 


CENT.  XVII.  of  Britain.  573 

30.    His    wit    was    passing    sliarp    and    piercing, 
equally  pleased  in  making  and  taking  a  smart  jest 


.  and  pierc- 

his  majesty  so  much  stoopmg  to  Ins  mirth  that  heingwit. 
never  refused  that  coin  which  he  paid  to  other  folk. 
This  made  him  please  himself  so  much  in  the  com- 
pany of  count  Gondomar ;  and  some  will  say,  the 
kinsf  was  contented  (for  reasons  best  known  to  him- 
self)  to  be  deceived  by  him,  and  humoured  into 
a  peace  to  his  own  disadvantage. 

31.  Once  kinfi-  James  in  an  afternoon  was  praising  K'^g James 

o  J.  o  jj,g  return 

the  plentiful    provision    of  England,   especially   fortoGondo- 

flesh  and  fowl ;    adding,  the  like  not  to  be  had  in 

all  Spain  what  one  county  here  did  afford.     "  Yea, 

"  but  my  master,"  quoth  Gondomar,  there  present, 

"  hath  the  gold  and  silver  in  the  East  and  West 

"  Indies."     "  And  I,  by  my  soul,"  saith  the  king, 

"  have  much  ado  to  keep  my  men  from  taking  it 

*'  away  from  him."     To  which   the  don's   Spanish 

gravity  returned  silence. 

32.  His  judgment  was  most  solid  in  matters  of  ^^^J^^^^^' 
divinity,  not  fathering  books  of  others  c,  (as  some  and  merd. 
of  his  predecessors,)  but  his  works  are  allowed  his 

own  by  his  very  adversaries.  Most  bountiful  to 
all,  especially  to  scholars,  no  king  of  England  ever 
doing  (though  his  successor  suffered)  more  to  i)re- 
serve  the  revenues  of  the  English  hierarchy.  Most 
merciful  to  offenders,  no  one  person  of  honour  (with- 
out parallel  since  the  conquest)  being  put  to  death 
in  his  reign.  In  a  word,  he  left  his  own  coffers 
empty,  but  his  subjects'  chests  full,  the  land  being 
never  more  wealthy ;  it  being  easier  then  to  get 
than  since  to  save  an  estate. 

c   [He  alludes  particularly  to  Henry  the  Eighth's  book  against 
Luther.] 

END    OF    VOL.    v. 

FULLER,  VOL.  V.  Q  q 


M 


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